


The whirlwind is in the thorn trees

by weddingbells



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-09
Updated: 2013-05-05
Packaged: 2017-12-08 00:25:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/754820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weddingbells/pseuds/weddingbells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis Tomlinson has enough on his plate without having to worry about a Zombie Apocalypse, thank you very much. Too bad the world doesn't listen to him, and too bad that among the constant fear of getting eaten, he meets someone that changes his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I had decided I shouldn't start any new projects but then I got the idea for this and I just couldn't stop writing! And since I've come up with a rather good plan I think it will work out.  
> I don't know, there's just something about One Direction killing zombies that feels great so... This is it. Inspired by Zombieland/The Walking Dead/other zombie things.  
> The title is from the song The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash.
> 
> I apologize if there are stupid mistakes.

It’s not that Louis sees himself as introvert. Not really. Actually, Louis thinks that he for one actually enjoys others company, quite often really. Louis is not one to lie to get out of spending time with people (unless they are annoying or root for the wrong footie team because then yeah, Louis would very much like to skip spending time with them). Honestly, Louis pictures himself as good with people. He can smile, he can laugh at jokes even though they aren’t remotely funny just because he knows that it’s expected of him and he is really good at making friends.

It’s just that Louis really doesn’t like being forced upon people.

He didn’t know when it started, but it was probably when there was that one incident at Uni when he got tangled up in a web of lies with some classmates, and suddenly Louis really didn’t know anymore who he could trust and who he should stay away from. It was funny, because before ending up in the middle of what turned out to be a catastrophe, Louis thought he was really good at reading people. But then those people had used him and making a complete mess, and even though Louis was pretty much over it, not even being hurt by how they outed him in front of everyone in a kind of sick way, he had been keeping a lot more to himself after that.

Well, to himself and with Zayn of course.

Zayn Malik was a good friend. Great friend, even. Louis didn’t know how they had made it through their first year without even speaking to each other, but then Zayn had bumped into Louis after one lecture one afternoon. Louis had been cranky and spilling his tea all over Zayn’s books, jeans _and_ by the looks of it, expensive school bag. Zayn had cursed using words Louis didn’t even know existed and Louis had apologized, trying to come up with something that could make the situation better. Then, to Louis surprise, Zayn had picked up his books, looked at Louis and then asked if he wanted to hang out some day.

Well, Zayn was kind of weird when Louis thought of it.

They fought over sports, how to best drink your tea and when it was necessary to stay in studying and not go out having drinks at the local pub, and Louis loved every second of it. He could talk to Zayn about everything and Zayn didn’t even care about all the previous drama. Zayn just pretty much cared about things that mattered to him and he explained it perfectly, that rumors and asshats didn’t really spark his interest anyway. Zayn laughed at his jokes, they could talk for hours about the most ridiculous stuff but that for some reason made sense talking about right then.

But apart from Zayn, Louis didn’t really meet people anymore. Well, not counting when you had to meet them, Louis didn’t go out like he used to. It wasn’t at all that bad. Louis didn’t really complain, he was just kind of pleased with having at least one voice to listen to except for his own, and Zayn could really talk, even if Louis didn’t do anything to keep the conversation going.

Talk, spend too much time in front of the mirror and smoke sitting by the window even though it was forbidden to do so. That was a few of Zayn’s qualities.

Louis really doesn't mind any of it.

 

\---

 

_“… not knowing how it’s spreading, authorities are telling residents of the London area to…”_

Louis wakes up abruptly to the sound of a radio news station, sounding like it had really bad reception. He blinks, the sudden light being too harsh on his eyes and then he notices Zayn hooded over his laptop, where the sound is coming from.

“Zayn.” Louis grunts, tempted to throw a pillow at the bloke. “It’s too early for radio. Too early for sounds whatsoever, actually. What are you _doing_?”

Zayn hushes him; only turning briefly to look at Louis who is tangled up in the sheets in the bed and then he turns his attention to the laptop again. Even though it was briefly and Louis wasn’t that awake yet, he can still see that Zayn looks rather pale to be Zayn.

_“… comments from… army will intervene if… safe zones are…”_

“Stupid piece of shit!” Zayn curses and hits the laptop. Louis sits up.

“Hey, that’s my precious Asus you’re hitting there. Be careful, cost me a small fortune of my student loan.”

“Honest to god, Louis.” Zayn snaps. “How bad is your wifi connection in here?”

“I don’t know?” Louis asks and rubs his eyes, trying to wake up some more, but feeling the need for tea building up. “What’s so important anyway, you wanna watch streamed movies _now_?”

“Louis.” Zayn says, and his voice is serious as he’s still turned to the laptop, not looking at Louis. “Something is going on.”

“ _What_?” Louis asks, and he is tempted to add something about Zayn kidding or that he should quit the act, but it is something in Zayn’s voice that seems trembling and real, and suddenly Louis doesn’t feel like asking if it is a joke. Instead Louis feels a bit scared and it is not a pleasant feeling. Zayn rubs his eyes like he can’t really feel awake either, and then he continues to tap on Louis’ laptop, like he is trying to find a new stream.

“I don’t know.” He says and his voice is cold and short, complete opposite to what it usually sounds like. “Really, I don’t know. It’s something weird. People are freaking out. Talking about a virus.”

“A virus?” Louis stands up and walks over to Zayn, reading over his shoulder. “What, like swine flu or something?”

“No, not like swine flu.” Zayn says through gritted teeth and flips through online newspapers.

“Then like _what_?”

“Louis!” Zayn almost shouts and he looks really annoyed as he looks over his shoulder to watch Louis. “ _I don’t know_. I have to find a good news station, something, I need more information. It’s crazy out there.”

“It is?” Louis walks over to the window, the only window in the dorm he had for himself as he was waiting for a new roommate and moves the curtains so that he can see outside.

First, it looks like the normal campus, nothing special.

Then Louis realizes how quiet it is, and that there are spilled Starbucks cups everywhere like people had left in a hurry, and then how there is literally _no_ people. And even though yes, it is kind of early it still isn’t too early and people should start heading to classes and study groups by now. Louis looks back at Zayn, who is still on the laptop.

“Shit, I can’t get this to work!” Zayn says and he looks so frustrated that he might even cry when he runs one hand through his hair, lips trembling. “Fuck sake, Lou.”

Louis is just about to reply when he catches a glimpse out of the window again and notices one person actually making their way across the campus. It is slow and it looks like every step hurts, but the person is walking forward nonetheless.

“Zayn, someone is out there!” Louis says, not really understanding why he thinks he has to share this, but then again considering campus looked deserted except for himself and Zayn, it seemed like big news at the moment. Zayn looks up and frowns, just when Louis takes a closer look at the person.

“He…” Louis decides it must be a he; it looks like a he anyway. “He looks hurt. Should we go out there?”

“No!” Zayn rushes forward and pulls back the curtains so that Louis can’t look outside anymore. Louis looks at his friend, suddenly wondering what in hell is going on.

“Zayn…?” He asks, feeling more confused than he wants to let on. “What is going _on_?”

The last part comes out harsh and demanding but Louis doesn’t care, right now it is obvious that Zayn is hiding something from him and now Louis really wants to know what it is.

Zayn is even paler now, and he is sweating too, his forehead filled with sweat drops. He swallows.

“Louis, you have to believe me, it’s not a joke.”

“What isn’t a joke?” Louis grabs Zayn’s shoulders to hold his eyes steady on him. Zayn swallows again.

“Like, really. You have to believe I’m not shitting you or anything because…”

“Zayn!” Louis yells, tempting to shake some sense into his friend. “Just tell me.”

Zayn sighs and then he opens his mouth.

“The virus, it’s… god, Louis. It’s like… they eat you.”

“Zayn, you’re not making any sense whatsoever.” Louis says and now he can feel his voice getting squeaky, and he shakes his head, trying to calm down. “Eats you?”

Zayn nods and it looks like he is about to start crying out of sheer panic now.

“You die quickly, but you don’t _stay_ dead.” He says, like that would explain everything to Louis. It doesn’t. Louis doesn’t understand a thing and he really doesn’t like how Zayn is making no sense.

“Okay, did you smoke something else besides your cigarettes because Zayn we talked about that and…”

Zayn lets out a frustrated groan.

“Louis, it’s zombies. It’s fucking real.”

Louis stares at Zayn, tempted to laugh.

“Okay, no. What are you even on about, I…”

“Louis, I swear. The virus. It’s…”

“Zayn, shut up, there’s no such thing as zombies. Now please, could you stop joking around and really just tell me what’s…”

Zayn grabs Louis’ glasses from his bed stand and gives them to Louis.

“Here. Put them on. And then look outside again.”

Louis doesn’t know why his hands are trembling when he puts on the glasses, but they are, and when he turns around to face the window again, he feels his whole body shaking. _This is ridiculous_. Zayn grabs the curtain and pulls it to the side again.

“Look again.” He says slowly and Louis looks outside. It is still empty, it still looks like everyone has abandon campus except for Zayn and him. And then there is the person.

“He still looks hurt.” Louis comments and glances over at Zayn, whose face is now more similar to a rock. “Maybe we should…”

“Louis.” Zayn says, without letting the person go with his eyes. “Look.”

Louis sighs and looks closer. And that’s when he notices how half of the person’s face is gone. Louis can see bones and veins and oh god, _so_ much blood and teeth. Just when he thinks he is about to be sick he notices a hole in the person’s body, just above the waist. And Louis can see more intestines than he knew were in a human being.

Louis covers his mouth with his hand, feeling sick to his gut, and Zayn pulls back the curtain again, the world outside disappearing again.

“It’s a joke.” Louis stumbles away from the window, tempted to throw away his glasses, that had helped him see this, hoping that it would make him _un-see_ it. “I… it’s a joke.”

“Louis, it’s a zombie.”

“Then it’s one of those zombie walk things!” Louis screams and his voice is loud and squeaky and he doesn’t care, he doesn’t care because he is scared out of his fucking mind and Zayn is just standing there, acting like it doesn’t affect him at all. Okay, that might not be true because Zayn is still pale, still sweating but _he still_ manages to look calmer than Louis feels and it is _so_ annoying.

Zayn shakes his head and grabs Louis’s shoulder.

“We have to get out of here.”

“Zayn, you can’t honestly believe that this is real, it’s a prank, we live in the real world, there’s no such thing as zombies here, we can’t…” Louis grabs Zayn’s arm, desperately wanting him to tell him that it is in fact a joke, that he is being punk’d, that it is a hidden camera somewhere, just something. Even Zayn admitting that he, Louis, is having a mental breakdown and seeing things that isn’t actually there seems like a good idea, a better idea than _this._

Zayn doesn’t say anything of that though; instead he turns to Louis’ computer again.

“I think connections got worse somewhere in the morning. It must have happened really quick, everything was fine last night, but this must be the center, where it started, I heard some broadcast telling people to stay away, they are evacuating and…”

Louis hids his face in his hands, wanting Zayn to shut up, wanting the world to disappear because this is insane, he doesn’t even know why he is still listening to the _madness_ coming out of Zayn’s mouth.

“Zayn, zombies only exists in games and stories and books and tv-shows. This is real life. This can’t be happening.”

“Well it bloody well is happening!” Zayn shouts and Louis stumbles back and sits down on the bed because Zayn almost looks hostile. “Sorry.” Zayn’s expression softens and then he turns to the computer again. “But Louis, we can’t freak out now. It’s happening. And we need to get out of here. I can’t have you freaking out of me. We won’t survive if you’re freaking out.”

“This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening.” Louis mumbles, rocking back and forth on the bed and that’s when Zayn walks over and slaps him.

Louis whimpers and his hand fly up to the part of his chin that Zayn had hit. Zayn breathes in and out, heavily and stares at Louis.

“I’m sorry.” He says and then he reaches out to hug Louis. “God, Lou, I’m sorry, but I… We can’t freak out. I need you with me, okay? I can’t leave without you.”

“Where are we going?” Louis whispers, feeling tears in his eyes because the slap had hurt, he would probably get a bruise and he did not like the way Zayn handled it.

Zayn looks around in the room and spots a bag, one that Louis takes the gym the occasional times he visits it. Zayn grabs it and pour out the clothes and water bottles that were in it on the floor and then tosses it over to Louis.

“Pack.” He demands. “Only what you need, but just bring something. And get dressed.”

Louis gets up from the bed and walks over to the closet. Half way there he is tempted to ask Zayn what exactly you do pack when you’re leaving for a zombie apocalypse but Zayn would probably slap him again and even if he didn’t think he would, Louis feels too weak from all the shock to even open his mouth. Not really understanding what he is doing or why he is doing it, he picks a few trousers and some shirts and a sweatshirt, shoving it down the bag. He picks the jeans he had worn last night, one simple white t-shirt and a hoodie and put them on, while Zayn apparently gives up on the computer. Instead he reaches for his own bag that Louis hadn’t noticed until now and swings it over his shoulder.

“Do you have any weapons?” He asks, and Louis couldn’t help but let out a laugh, stopping immediately when he notices how serious Zayn is.

“No!” He says and zips the bag closed. “I don’t have any weapons Zayn, I’m a student, not some kind of crime lord.”

Zayn sighs.

“Do you have anything, anything at all?”

“Uhm…” Louis walks over to his desk and gazes over the piles of papers and books until he finds what he had been looking for: a letter opener. “I have this?”

Zayn sighs and rolls his eyes, but he takes it nonetheless.

“This will have to do. Are you ready to leave?”

“No.”

Zayn stares at him. “Louis…”

“Look, I really have a problem with believing this is actually happening, okay?” Louis says, feeling a bit desperate over the fact that Zayn doesn’t seem to understand him. When did he become so okay with the thought of heading into a possible apocalypse without even questioning whether it’s a dream or not anyway? “I mean, I don’t _believe_ in zombies. I think you should give me a break.”

“Well, I think you better start believing quickly.” Zayn says and walks over to the door. “Because we’re gonna have to make it past a lot of them probably to get to the car. Let’s go, Lou.”

Lou grabs his wallet and keys out of old habits and puts them in his pockets and swings the bag over his shoulder, making sure he won’t drop it. It isn’t that heavy considering he’s only bringing clothes, but since he also feels like he is carrying all the anxiety feelings about this whole situation, it feels like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Zayn.” He says just when Zayn puts his hand on the door handle. “Just how bad is it out there?”

Zayn sighs and then turns to Louis, his eyes looking watery and scared. For the first time Louis can actually feel that this is affecting him to. Zayn isn’t a rock, a mountain that can’t be moved, without feelings. Zayn is maybe just as scared as Louis is, even if he is better at hiding it.

For some reason it makes Louis feel a bit better. Like he isn’t alone in this.

“It’s the same like what you just saw.” He says and his voice is quiet. “But we can get out, okay? Just follow me and stay close.”

“Okay.” Louis nods and Zayn pushes the door open.

 

\---

 

Louis should have died three times just heading outside.

First he was too occupied being shocked about the fact that everything looked just like in those bad apocalypse movies, that he didn’t notice that in one of the rooms one of the zombies (Louis was still by that time not even sure they were real) just noticed that something living was moving outside. Thank god Zayn was there though and he managed to slam the door shut before the zombie could get to Louis.

The next time Louis tripped after being shocked by the sight of a bloody arm lying in the middle of the stairs, and he fell down one flight of stairs before managing to stop himself and Zayn could help him out. He should have broken both his legs in the tumble down the stairs but thank god he didn’t. Zayn sighed though and told him to be careful, and Louis felt ashamed for being clumsy and foolish.

The third time was just when they were heading towards Zayn’s car, and Louis was relaxing without realizing it, feeling like the worst most be over, when three zombies that he almost recognized as students in his year came growling over the campus area, and just when Louis thought that he was finished, feeling the foul stench from the rotten flesh, Zayn had managed to get the car doors open and the engine to start, and thank god the car was fast enough to outrun all of them.

“That wasn’t so difficult.” Zayn breaths out as he put on his seat belt and then nods to Louis to do the same. Louis gives him a dark look.

“No, not at all. This was fine.”

“We have to stick together.” Zayn says, and Louis can feel just the slightest bit of panic in his voice. “It will be okay as long as we stick together.”

 

\---

 

It takes two weeks before Louis is finally accepting the fact that the zombies are real, that they are in so much trouble and that Zayn can be a freaking killing machine when he wants to be. Louis has of course killed a zombie or two himself, mostly when there’s no other way out but Zayn, Zayn is crazy. Or amazing. Or extremely skilled, Louis hasn’t decided yet. He only knows that he is extremely lucky to have Zayn as a friend because if he didn’t have Zayn, he probably would have been dead ages ago.

They have been driving around in Zayn’s car since they started the journey, trying to find something that will tell them that they are not alone in the world. London looks like a war zone though; it’s scary how empty it is. First couple of days travelling Louis and Zayn actually now and then ran into other people, alive people, but they seem to be gone now all of them. Zayn has been trying to find out about safe zones or secret areas, and if the virus is spread to more places than England, but it’s difficult to find any kind of communication. Phones and internet are both out. Louis’ cellphone is dead even if they would be able to make a call, and Zayn dropped his while trying to get away from a hoard of zombies lurking outside a grocery shop where they tried to find some food.

It feels kind of lonely.

“We should try to leave London.” Zayn says as he stops the car in front of a gas station, carefully checking for zombies nearby before stepping outside. “To the countryside. Maybe it’s better there. There’s nothing here anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Louis says, and reaches for his rifle in the backseat before he steps outside. Yes, he as a _rifle_ now. How crazy is that. Zayn shakes his head and head over to the gas, sighing with relief when he sees that it works and that he is able to put gas into the car.

“I don’t know Louis, I don’t know. But we have to do something. I don’t think it can be worse than London anyway, or anything we have seen so far.”

“I’m not sure.” Louis says, and truth to be told he’s actually quite scared because leaving would mean that they leave a lot of things that makes Louis feel safe, despite the fact that it’s pretty unsafe right now. He’s not sure he can handle that.

Zayn finishes putting gas in the car and looks inside the gas station.

“Maybe we should see if they have some water or something.” He says and tries to see if it looks like there are zombies inside. He can’t see any though, and Louis can’t either. “I don’t know when we’ll be able to get to a store again.

Louis agrees, and both of them armed, they head for the door.

At first it all looks perfectly safe. Louis is even surprised because this must be one of the first stores they enter that looks almost like it must have looked like on a regular basis. Before _this_ happened. The shelves are in order, it looks like the freezers are still working and everything just looks so normal.

Zayn grabs some water bottles, a couple of soda cans and then shoves them down his bag. Louis grabs a couple of chocolate bars even though Zayn rolls his eyes as he manages to get a few packages with paracetamol. Louis rolls his eyes back at him though when Zayn reaches for a pack of cigarettes just as Louis finds his favorite chocolate hidden on one of the shelves.

Zayn is heading back to Louis when they hear the growl.

Louis turns his head in horror and watches a bloody hand grabbing the counter.

“Fuck, it’s the clerk.” Zayn shouts as the zombie pulls itself up, watching Zayn and Louis with hungry, dead eyes. Louis feels his heart racing and he heads for the door.

“Hurry!” He shouts back at Zayn.

“Louis, look out!” Zayn screams and only then does Louis realize that maybe five zombies are currently circling their car, the only getaway they have right now.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Zayn curses and grabs Louis’ arm. “Let’s run.”

“Run where?” Louis feels the panic in Zayn’s voice.

“Anywhere but here, let’s just go!”

And they start running. Louis feels his chest burning and his legs hurt but Zayn is running ahead of him, and he can’t lose him. Suddenly he hears an unfamiliar voice, with an accent he can’t place.

“Look out, you!”

Zayn and Louis lower their heads and then they hear gunfire. Louis hears the thump of bodies falling to the ground and when the gunfire stops, he finally dares to look up.

On the hood of an abandon truck there are two guys standing. One of them has a shaved head, he looks buff and really athletic, and he’s the one holding the gun, aiming for the now dead-again zombies behind Louis and Zayn. The other one is bleached blonde, tinier than the other guy and they both look at Zayn and Louis with worried eyes.

The buff guy lowers his gun and they both jump down on the ground at the same time, heading over to Louis and Zayn.

“Thanks.” Zayn breaths out and leans over, putting his hands on his knees as he catches his breath. “Thought it was over.”

“No problem.” The blonde guy says and Louis is a bit ashamed that he doesn’t recognize the accent. Scottish? No. And not American. Maybe Australian. “It was nice to see some people not after our intestines for once, actually.”

_Irish_. Louis is actually quite pleased that he finally is able to place it. He clears his throat.

“You’re the first people, _alive_ people, we see in weeks actually. Where have you been?”

The buff guy snorts a bit, but he’s smiling.

“Being safe. I’m Liam, by the way. This is Niall.”

Niall waves.

“I’m Zayn and this is Louis.” Zayn says and stands up straight again. “Pleasure to meet you. Or something.”

Zayn looks back at the dead zombies and Louis can see why he has that questioning look on his face. Meeting in the middle of a blood bath maybe isn’t the nicest way to meet new people.

“We should move away from here.” Niall says and looks at Liam. “We can be found. Maybe we should take Louis and Zayn with us.”

“Take us where?” Louis asks, but he doubts it can be worse than it is here. Liam smiles a little.

“We have safe place. You just have to convince Harry you’re good enough to be let in. let’s go.”

Zayn raises his eyebrows at Louis as they follow Liam and Niall. Louis shrugs. He doesn’t understand either.

 

\---

 

Liam and Niall leads Zayn and Louis down a street, the houses look nice but a bit old almost, but Louis doesn’t know if they are actually old or just worn out by this thing just like they are. As the buildings grow taller they head into an alley, and that’s when Niall waves to a person standing guard, almost. Louis thinks that this must be the person they had been talking about. Louis and Zayn follow nervously as they walk towards him.

The guy is _special_. Louis doesn’t even know why he wants to use that word, but he can’t come up with anything better. His hair is curly, feathery even and just light brown. He’s got big eyes that look a bit innocent, like they don’t belong in a world like this. His body is tall and slender, and he is covered in cut and bruises, and his clothes looks torn, complete the opposite to Liam and Niall’s clothing, which actually look new. Louis’ heart skips a beat.

“We ran into them outside.” Liam explains to the curly haired guy, apparently named Harry since that was the name Liam mentioned earlier, and looks almost nervous. “We were just out to see if there are… well. We were out. And then they came running.”

“Zombies everywhere.” Niall says and the Irish brogue is really thick, Louis notices. “You came from the gas station, didn’t you?” Niall turns to Louis and Zayn, with an encouraging nod, telling them to tell their story.

“Yes.” Louis says and looks nervously at Harry who still hasn’t said anything, he is just staring at Louis and Zayn like he is trying to decide if they are actually real people. “We headed inside to get supplies.”

“And we we’re just getting some water and I grabbed a couple packs of cigarettes when…” Zayn starts to fill in, but he is interrupted by Harry who gives Zayn an almost evil glare.

“You smoke?”

The voice is harsh and Louis is somewhat surprised because Harry, he looks so sweet and innocent despite all the torn clothes and cuts and bruises. Not the kind of bloke to have a harsh, cold voice like that. Zayn looks a bit taken a back.

“Uhm, yeah, I…”

“You brought a smoker?” Now Harry turns to Liam and Niall, who looks a bit shifting in their positions, like they would rather be somewhere else. Louis wonders if the three of them knew each other before this, wonders if they always had this kind of hierarchy. Harry the leader, and the other two doing what he wants them to do. Another thing that doesn’t really feel right, Harry doesn’t feel like the one to take charge. Louis doesn’t know why, he just doesn’t.

“I’m old enough to smoke.” Zayn says, and tries to stare back at Harry with the same, strong eyes that Harry is staring at them with. Harry snorts.

“Sure you are. But you know, smoking isn’t really a good thing in this world that’s all.”

“Why not?” Zayn asks and Louis is almost impressed with how Zayn is handling all this. He himself is almost scared out of his mind and not at all comfortable in this situation, Harry looks at them like he is crawling under their skin and it makes Louis uncomfortable. But Zayn, Zayn looks ready to go into battle with this guy. “Cancer isn’t really my biggest problem right now.”

Harry opens his mouth as to give Zayn an explanation just why smoking is so bad for him right now, but he doesn’t get the chance to because they are interrupted by distant growls.

“Fucking cunts.” Niall hisses under his breath. “Let’s get inside, come on Harry.”

Harry looks at Louis and Zayn, likes he questioning himself whether or not he should let them bring Louis and Zayn inside. Then he sighs.

“Fine, I can’t watch you get eaten. Let’s get inside then, quickly.”

Louis wonders what _inside_ is, but he hears the growls coming closer and he decides that it is probably not a good idea for questions.


	2. Losing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the One Direction-boys.  
> This is all fiction.

Niall and Liam grab Zayn and Louis, like they don’t really think they are able to run on their own. Harry opens up the doors to the big building in front of them, and when everyone is safe inside he closes the door behind them, showing off a pretty impressive lock construction. Louis pants, still feeling a bit scared about it being _so close._

“Don’t worry, they can’t get inside.” Niall tells them and he walks past Louis and Zayn.

Louis looks around. They are standing in an entrance hall, a hotel lobby that by the looks of it is quite luxury. Louis looks around some more after noticing Zayn’s big eyes as he looks at the place too.. It doesn’t look affected at all, it’s clean and white and beautiful. There’s a large fountain in a restaurant with a bar, and a reception desk where they can see a lot of key cards. A few other people are sitting in the bar and they look up when they notice the newcomers. Louis lifts his arm and waves foolishly. Harry sighs.

“Well, this is our place. Don’t ruin it.”

“This is a hotel.” Zayn comments, and Louis can see how Harry is a bit annoyed by the obvious comment. Liam cuts in before Harry can say anything.

“Yeah. We’ve been staying here for a while. Like a couple of weeks, or so. It’s safe. They can’t get inside and it wasn’t affected at all. Of course we’ve done sweeps to see if there are any dead here. But it was okay.” Liam tells them before he walks over to the bar to join the others. Niall, who was looking at something on the reception desk, follows him and that leaves Louis and Zayn with Harry.

Louis feels really awkward in Harry’s presence. He doesn’t know why. Zayn looks at the bar, his eyes filled with longing.

“Go on and join the others.” Harry tells them and nods in the direction of the bar. “I have some things to take care of.”

“What?” Louis asks, curious. Zayn is already joining Niall and Liam by the bar, smiling like they have been best friends forever, just out to get a drink together. Louis wonders how he does that. Harry sighs.

“None of your business.”

“I’m Louis, by the way.” Louis says and Harry looks so annoyed right now, but Louis can’t help himself. It’s like something desperate inside him wants Harry to know his name. “Louis Tomlinson.”

“Well _, Louis Tomlinson_.” Harry says with a mocking tone to his voice. “What I have to do is none of your business. Okay?”

“You’re Harry, aren’t you?” _Wow_. A few months without real people to talk to more than Zayn and apparently Louis have lost all of his social skills. _Figures._ Harry looks like he’s about to explode.

“Listen, I don’t have time to talk to you, okay? I have some stuff to take care of, so just… go talk to the others, okay? Stop bothering _me_.”

Louis is about to open his mouth again, not even knowing what he wants to say now, but Harry is already gone. Louis can almost feel the anger in his steps as Harry heads towards the staircase. He feels stupid for a while, before he decides he better not stand there on his own like an idiot and go over to join Zayn and the others instead.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Liam says when he sits down at the table in the bar that Liam, Zayn and Niall are currently occupying. “He’s… He can be kinda…”

“Difficult.” Niall finishes the sentence. “But you learn to live with it. Harry is actually kind of a nice bloke, you’ll see. Not just right away.”

“He seems a bit…” Zayn says, not knowing how to finish the sentence and he glances over at Niall and Liam, his eyes lingering a bit at Liam, before he lowers his eyes to stare at the table again. Liam smiles politely.

“I know, I know. But it hasn’t been easy for Harry. He’s kind of… yeah. It was difficult.”

“He lost his sister.” Niall finishes Liam’s sentence, obviously able to say what Liam couldn’t. “It was awful. He hasn’t been the same ever since, really. It happened quite early. Bloody story. And his family was… yeah. Anyway…”

Niall takes a sip from a beer in front of him that they picked up from the bar. Louis wants one too, but he doesn’t want a beer more than he wants to hear about Harry’s history so he stays put. He doesn’t know why but he wants to know everything about that guy with the curly hair and dimples -  he knows it’s ridiculous but he just can’t help himself. He looks over at the stairs which Harry disappeared up for, and some part of him wants to go after him.

“It was hard on him. I think he blames himself. That he let it happen, that he couldn’t protect her. He’s been kinda closed up ever after that.” Niall continues, after taking a sip of his beer and enjoying the taste apparently, since he is smacking his lips in an almost obscene way.

“Won’t change his clothes, won’t trust new people.” Liam says and Louis thinks that it explains why Harry’s clothes are all torn, even though Liam and Niall, and the other people at the hotel, seems to be dressed in pretty much new outfits. “It’s difficult, yeah. We want to help him. Doesn’t help being closed up, I think you need all the company you can get in a world like this. And he comes around now and then, he does, but I think he still prefers to keep to himself.”

Zayn nods and drinks from his glass of beer as well. Louis doesn’t do anything. He thinks about being closed up and staying away from people and wonder if maybe he has something in common with Harry.

Louis thinks about his mum and his sisters and wonders if they are okay. Or if they’ve suffered the same fate as Harry’s sister and family and he really doesn’t like thinking about that. He forces his mind to let go of those thoughts, listening to the conversation going on around him instead.

“How long will you stay here?” Zayn asks when Louis doesn’t say anything and the conversation about Harry’s earlier life seems to have come to an end. Niall shrugs.

“Dunno, for as long as we can, I s’pose?” He looks over at Liam, who nods in agreement. “I mean it’s kinda a nice deal you know, nice bed, nice surroundings, safe from zombies and so far we still have food that will last for a while. We’re in no rush to leave, anyway.”

“Have you heard anything…” Zayn lowers his voice and Louis wonders if he is afraid someone else will hear him, but then he notices that Zayn has that expression on his face when he is quieter only because he is nervous, or something is bother him. “Is it this bad everywhere? Can they fix it?”

Niall shakes his head.

“Dunno mate, dunno. Communications aren’t exactly fab here. We’re trying but we can’t really reach out to anyone. Last thing we heard was something about safe zones, but we haven’t made it to one and after Harry’s sister… well, we didn’t want to risk anything. Found this and it was okay. We only take trips outside when we feel the need to check if someone’s out there, or if we can find anyone that knows anything. You’re kinda lucky we found you. Hope you’ll find this little pearl okay as well.”

“This is more than okay.” Zayn stretches out. “This feels great. I think I could stay here forever.”

Louis looks at Zayn’s pleased face, knowing that most of it is probably a façade, but then again, this _is_ better than staying in Zayn’s car, sleeping in turns, being terrified of what awaits them when they open their eyes. Now they are in a building with locks and people that can help out in protecting each other, and it just is better.

“Doesn’t Harry want to hang out with you?” Louis asks, and three confused faces are turned towards him. Louis is blushing. He knows his obsession with Harry is already a bit weird but it just doesn’t feel right that everyone is sitting here, hanging out and pretty much enjoying each other, and Harry is off by himself somewhere else.

“Harry likes to stick to himself, like I said” Liam explains again, and Louis blushes a little again and wonders if they are angry because he didn’t pay attention. “Uhm yeah, like I said, he’s… well, he doesn’t really reach out that often. And after being outside he usually needs time. I don’t know, maybe seeing the world out there is hard on him. Memories. Stuff.”

“I should go thank him anyway.” Louis says and get up from his chair. “I mean, for letting us stay and not leaving us out there to get eaten. It was nice of him.”

Niall laughs a little.

“If you want to talk to him so bad, then go. He’s probably up in the roof garden.”

“This hotel has a roof garden?” Zayn’s eyes widen and Niall smiles.

“Yeah. Top floor, of course. Everything is perfect here. If you want to find him.” He turns to Louis again. “He’s up there. Use the stairs though, we don’t want to risk the elevators. Don’t know if they will work forever and we don’t want you to get stuck.”

Louis smiles and really like this Irish man who really seems to care about them, even though they don’t really know each other.

“You okay staying here?” He asks Zayn, and Zayn nods, looking a bit flushed.

“If it’s okay with you guys.” Zayn says to Liam and Niall, and they both smile, Niall grabbing Zayn’s shoulders.

“Of course mate! Now, let’s talk about you. Tell me your story.”

\---

Louis is half way up the stairs when he is starting to regret his choice.

Not only because climbing all those stairs is really tough (Louis thought he was fit but apparently these stairs are too much for him) but also because he has absolutely no idea what to say to Harry, and since Harry obviously didn’t want to speak to him before, he’s not much likely willing to talk to him now. He wishes he had brought some kind of peace offering, or something that could be used as an excuse for heading up there. Maybe a couple of beers, some message from Liam, something that would be important to give to him. But he only brought himself and now he has to work with it.

Louis isn’t even sure why he so desperately wants to talk to Harry, or spend time with him, but it was just something about the way his eyes looked (innocent, broken and still so cold) and the way he spoke, and all that he heard about his sister, that makes Louis feel almost as if _he_ is in pain. He feels like he should keep Harry close and he doesn’t know why, he just does.

He makes his way up the last stairs and finds a sign in some gold color that says _‘Roof garden’_ pointing left, so Louis heads in that direction and hopes it isn’t difficult to find.

It isn’t. There are two big glass doors, and Louis can see green plants and yet another fountain, smaller than the one in the bar, and then Harry who is sitting in a comfortable chair, completely lost in his own world. He seems to be reading some papers, or looking at the pages anyway and he doesn’t notice Louis.

Louis knocks before opening the door, he knows how on edge you get in this life, and he doesn’t want to startle Harry. Harry would probably be killing before asking questions and Louis doesn’t want to be treated like a zombie, _no thanks._ Harry looks up at the sound of the knock, and when he notices Louis he sighs and rolls his eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“Uhm. Just figured I’d go check on you.” Louis says, feeling awkward, face blushing. Harry sighs again and his green eyes look annoyed.

“Check up on me? I don’t need that, thank you very much. I thought I made it pretty clear that I had some stuff to take care of. Why can’t you just hang out with the rest of the guys?”

Harry’s eyes look beautiful next to the clear sky that Louis now can see, and he feels strange inside, weak in his legs like he’s coming down with the flu, almost.

“Doesn’t feel right that you’re up here alone.” Louis tries to explain, which is really difficult since he doesn’t even know himself why he won’t just stay with the other boys that actually wanted to talk to him. Harry sighs yet again and Louis wonders how many times he can sigh in one minute with Louis here.

“Well, you should leave anyway. I don’t really spend time with strangers.” Harry says and he looks at Louis with a determined face. “You really should have stayed with the others.”

“Okay, I’ll just walk down those billion stairs I just climbed to get up here…” Louis pouts, knowing that his pout is usually something that gives him what he wants, and as he had planned, Harry gives in, rolling his eyes as he point to the chair next to him. Louis is actually a bit surprised to see his eyes soften a bit, and Louis thinks that maybe, just maybe he can see the hint of a smile in the corner of Harry’s mouth. It makes Louis happier than it probably should.

“Fine, fine, you can stay. But I still think you’re a pain in the ass, Tomlinson, just so you know. You don’t know when to quit.”

Louis smiles and sits down in the chair next to Harry. He takes a couple of second to admire the view. If you don’t look down, all you can see is the blue sky and the sun, and the world looks normal – not zombie infested, not like a war zone, just the normal world he used to live in and it’s nice. Louis almost remembers what it used to be like to live in this world, which is really impressive because honestly Louis had almost forgotten what it was like. The fighting and near-to-death-experiences are his life now, and he’s so used to it that his other life almost feels like a dream, a long lost dream. One of those dreams you have when you’re a kid and that you keep a flurry memory of even when you grow up.

When he takes his eyes off the view, he notices Harry staring at him.

“What, do I have something on my face?” Louis asks, worried, and searches his face for blood or chocolate or anything that could look weird, because Harry is staring at him just like that. Harry shakes his head.

“No, I’m just… it was nothing.”

“Okay.” Louis smiles and then they both fall silent. They sit like that for a while and just when Louis thinks that it is about to turn into one of those awkward silences that he really hates so much (he’s not used to silence, not with Zayn talking so much all the time) Harry opens his mouth to speak.

“You’re just really weird.” Harry says finally and Louis doesn’t know how he should take that. “I mean you’re just… I don’t think I get you.”

“That’s okay.” Louis says and stretches out on the chair, hoping he sounds casual and cool. “Most of the time I don’t get me either.”

Harry looks at him, keeping their eyes locked on each other for a while before he looks to the sky again, and the silence is upon them once again.

“I’m sorry if I was a bit rude earlier.”

Louis blinks, kind of surprised by the apology. He looks over at Harry, and Harry is almost smiling now.

“It’s okay.” Louis says, and run his hand through his hair. Harry watches him, biting his lip. Louis wonders why.

“I just… We don’t really meet new people and I just…”

“Harry, it’s okay.” Louis laughs nervously. “I would probably be a bit like that too, if I was in your shoes. It’s okay.”

Harry gives Louis a little smile, and then he looks outside again.

“How long have you been out there?” Harry asks and Louis hesitates.

“I don’t know really. Or like, it feels like forever. But a couple of months. I don’t know. I think we left on the 21st September. Something like that anyway.”

“That’s when it started.” Harry says, quietly. “Around that time. And it’s only been you and the guy with the quiff?”

Louis grins, thinking that is probably the best way to describe Zayn that he’s ever heard.

“Yeah, we’re sticking together. My best mate. What about you?”

Just when he asks that Louis could kick himself because Harry’s face turn dark, and Louis feels stupid because of _course_ this is making Harry think about his sister and Louis really shouldn’t ask him these things already. Not when they are _almost_ getting along. Louis wants to kick himself.

“They got to my family.” Harry says, and he is really quiet, and Louis wonders if maybe he is one of the first strangers Harry talks to about this. For some reason it makes Louis feel all warm inside. It’s strange.

“I… I’m sorry.” Louis says softly.

“Don’t be sorry.” Harry mumbles and plays with one of his curls. “Sorry isn’t helping anyone, really. Anyway, been friends with Liam since I was a kid, met Niall at the University.”

Louis blinks in surprise.

“You’re a student.”

“Yeah, computer science.”

Louis tries to take in all of the information. Harry just doesn’t look like the type for computer science of all things. Looking at him now, Louis has trouble understanding that Harry ever could sit hours and hours in front of a computer. Harry seems to notice Louis’ trail of thoughts and he smiles faintly.

“Maybe I don’t look very geeky.”

“Oh god, no, it’s not that.” Louis protests loudly. “I don’t think you have to look geeky to do that stuff, I just… I thought you’d be more like, the doctor type.”

Harry laughs at that comment and Louis doesn’t know what is so funny.

“No, not at all. Can’t handle blood at all.”

“Uhm, you mean before this right? Because sorry, but you kinda look like a mean, lean, killing machine now.”

Harry stares at Louis and then he bursts out laughing again, and this time he doesn’t stop, he laughs and laughs and soon Louis is laughing just because Harry is laughing, and laughing because he is laughing at something as stupid as a bad joke. They laugh for minutes and when Harry finally calms down he’s holding his arms around his stomach and he has tears in his eyes. Louis’ ribs hurt too and he wipes away a tear from his own eye.

“You’re stupid.” Harry says when he is finally able to breathe normal again. “God, you’re really something.”

“I don’t even know why it was so funny to begin with!” Louis defends himself, but he is so pleased to see Harry laughing. If he didn’t like Harry before, he really, really likes him now because Harry looks down right beautiful when he is laughing.

Louis doesn’t really know how to handle him.

Harry turns serious shortly after, and clears his throat.

“Are you hungry? Maybe we should grab a bite with the others.”

“You’ve got good food?” Louis asks and really, really hopes that the answer will be yes. Harry laughs again and then he nods.

“Yeah, this is a five star hotel after all. Most of the food they had here is still okay, we put a lot of it in the freezer. Come on then.”

\---

Louis notices that Niall and Liam is kind of surprised that Louis and Harry enters the bar together. No one says anything about it though, instead they start talking about food. Turns out Niall’s got a pretty good idea on what they should get from the kitchen and brings a guy named Nick with him to fix dinner. While the others are waiting for the food, they sit together at a bigger table, and Louis notices how Zayn is sitting close to Liam, talking about something that he can’t hear. Louis doesn’t care that he can’t though, because he is talking to _Harry._

Louis is almost ashamed with how happy he is that Harry is sitting next to him. Almost.

When they have wined and dined and talked for what feels like hours, the conversation suddenly starts to die out. It’s been really nice though, and for the first time Louis can feel that he is enjoying himself, almost forgetting about the world outside and Zayn looks happy and pleased, which makes Louis even happier because seeing his friend being this happy is great. Louis notices that Zayn often glance over at Liam, and it makes him giggle on the inside. He makes a mental note to himself to tease Zayn about it later.

Then the need for sleep starts to kick in. With everything going on today Louis has actually forgotten that sleep is something you need now and then. He gets reminded though when he yawns, one of those big, lion yawns, impossible to hide and he makes no effort to hide it either. The others look at him.

“You sleepy, Lou?” Zayn nudges his shoulder. Louis is tempted to shake his head, showing the others that he actually can stay up longer, but then he can’t. He yawns again and then he nods.

“You should get some sleep.” Liam says. “We have lots of rooms, you can just pick a key and then you…”

“I can show you, if you want.” Harry says and everyone looks shocked. Harry stares at them. “What, I can be polite you know. And anyway, I know this hotel better than anyone, and it’s good if he chooses a room close to the rest of us in case anything happens. Right?”

“Sure.” Niall grins and he looks mildly amused by the whole thing. Louis looks over at Harry and can’t help it, but he is beaming.

“Come on then.” Harry gets up from his chair and Louis follows him.

They walk up the stairs slowly, and they are quiet. Louis desperately wants to talk to Harry but he doesn’t know what to say, it feels like they have been talking about everything but now they are alone again, and for some reason Louis wants to sound witty and smart, but he is too tired to even make sense of his own thoughts.

“And you don’t have to worry about the zombies.” Harry explains when they’ve reached the floor where apparently a lot of the people are sleeping. “We take turns at making sure everything is locked and safe. You don’t have to, since this is your first night. You should just sleep, I bet it’s been a long time since you slept for more than an hour here and there.”

He sounds so thoughtful and kind and amazing and Louis is tempted to just draw him closer and hug him tight. He doesn’t, though. He’s not sure if Harry is the hugging type and anyway, they’ve only known each other for a day, this is no time or hugs.

They walk past a few doors and then Harry stops in front of one door.

“You can sleep in here, Zayn will have a room at the end of the corridor.” Harry says and hands Louis a keycard with the room number on it. Zayn takes it.

“Thank you.” Louis says, breathlessly. For some reason the way Harry’s curls bounces around his head is making him weak in the knees and he doesn’t really know how to handle that either. He feels so lame.

“I’m the room next to yours.” Harry points, and it might be Louis’ imagination but for some reason it looks like Harry is blushing. “Anyway, sweet dreams. I hope you will be able to sleep okay, the beds are fine here.”

“I’m sure… Thanks.” Louis says, and the door opens with a beep when he uses the card reader. He is happy that the locks are still working. He turns on the light and it’s dim, but still fine. He turns around to say goodnight to Harry again, but Harry is already gone.

Louis falls onto the bed, manages to wriggle out of his jeans and shirt and disappear under the sheets. He is thinking of dimples and curls when he closes his eyes and falls to sleep within seconds.

\---

Louis wakes up from a nightmare about blood and flesh, and he is sweating and panting, and it’s not better when he doesn’t realize where he is. He lets out a surprised little scream as he looks around the room, white interior looking extremely posh. He is just remembering the night before and that they are staying at the luxury hotel with Harry, Liam and Niall, when someone is knocking on the door.

“Louis, are you okay?”

It’s Harry. Louis feels stupid when he realizes that he was just dreaming, making noises for nothing and probably scaring everyone. Quickly he makes his way across the dark room and opens up the door.

Outside is Harry, and he looks worried, dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts. Louis notices a big bruise on his chest, and a cut over his stomach. Louis wonders how he got those, how many struggles he’s been in, and then if his skin is as soft as it looks. It sends a shiver down his spine that is comfortable and annoying at the same time.

“Are you okay? I heard you…”

“I’m fine.” Louis says and scratches his neck nervously. “I’m sorry, I…”

“Bad dream? I know about those.” Harry sighs and Louis feels a need to pull him closer, hug him, having his arms around him, but he can’t do that.

“I’m sorry for waking you.” He says instead. “Is it morning?”

Harry shakes his head.

“Nope, still in the middle of the night. You wanna go back to sleep? You should probably get some more sleep, you look tired.”

“I…” Louis starts and then he hesitates because he really shouldn’t but… “I just… do you think you could stay?”

Harry blinks and then his face turns red. Louis feels his own face turn red as well.

“I’m sorry.” Louis stutters. “I didn’t mean, I’m sorry, I just…”

“No, it’s okay.” Harry whispers. “I understand. I can stay. It’s a big bed, there’s room enough for both of us.”

Louis feels so grateful and he doesn’t even know why, but when Harry walks past him and lie down in the bed, he just feels so okay with everything.

He closes the door and then he practically jumps into bed next to Harry.

“I don’t usually do this.” Louis says when they are both comfortable, head on their pillow and turned so that they can look at each other. Louis can almost see Harry’s face, even though it is dark. “I mean, sleep with guys I rarely know.”

He laughs at his own joke and Harry giggles a little. _Actually giggles_ and Louis just doesn’t know what to do with him.

“You’re really weird Louis.” Harry says and stretches out in the bed. “But this is… I mean, it’s not lonely. Safer.”

And Louis agrees. Louis feels so safe right now. He looks at Harry and then he can see Harry closing his eyes and Louis does the same, feeling sleepy again, almost drifting off to sleep.

“Harry?” He mumbles and Harry makes a little sound, almost like a moan instead of a yes, just to prove he is listening. Louis moves a little closer to him, their hands almost touching under the sheets, but just almost. “Do you snore?”

Harry laughs a little and Louis opens is eyes just to be able to almost see that smile, almost see the dimples.

“I don’t know, actually. Not that many people that have been able to tell me if I do. Don’t usually share a bed.”

“I’m special then? You like me?” Louis wants it to sound like a joke but inside, deep inside he really wants Harry to reply honestly, really wants Harry to say that he _is_ special and that he _does_ like him. Harry laughs a little.

“Go to sleep, Tomlinson.”

But he is smiling, Louis can tell. And as their fingers are almost brushing each other, a soft touch, Louis drifts off to sleep again.

\---

There’s really loud knocks on the door when Louis opens his eyes, feeling extremely well rested and when he turns to the side and see that Harry is still sleeping next to him, his curly hair floating all over his pillow and one of his legs tangled up in the sheets, Louis is filled with joy.

The knocking doesn’t stop though, and soon he hears Niall’s voice.

“Louis, are you up? You have to come quick!”

 _Something happened to Zayn. Zombies got in. We’re all dying._ Louis tries not to panic as he practically jumps out of bed and runs to the door, his mind filling up with thoughts on what could have happened.

He opens the door and Niall is outside, pale, sweating and nervous.

“God, Louis, Harry’s gone, he’s usually on first watch of the morning and he is just not there.” Niall looks like he is about to start crying any second out of panic. “Oh god, oh god. We have to go look, something could…”

“Uhm…” Louis walks a bit to the left so that Niall can see into the room. “Uhm, sorry, he’s… uhm, he’s here actually.”

“He’s… what?” Niall hisses and then he sees Harry on the bed. Harry is just waking up, lifting his head from the pillow and looking around the room, confused by the sudden conversation.

“Was goin on.” He mumbles out and Niall looks like he’s about to explode, if it’s from happiness or anger Louis can’t tell.

“You were here? All the time?” Niall shouts finally and Harry sits up as he notices that he is in Louis’ room and that Niall is here and Louis can see on his face that this is not something he had planned to answer to. Niall walks past Louis and closer to the bed, his eyes look a bit angry now.

“You seriously… god, we’ve been everywhere, we’ve been so worried, I thought… I don’t believe you! You… I…”

Niall can’t even continue and Harry hides his face in his hands.

“Niall, I am so, so sorry it was just I…”

“You hooked up?” Niall asks, now turned to Louis and Louis blushes.

“What, no, no we didn’t, I… No, I had a nightmare and I couldn’t sleep and…”

Niall rolls his eyes and then he looks from Louis to Harry and back to Louis, like he still doesn’t believe what he is seeing. Then he remembers something.

“I have to tell the others, they are still looking. You guys, get dressed and come down and give everyone a good apology!”

Niall disappears out the door and Louis takes a deep breath.

“I’m sorry…” He begins, and turns to Harry, but Harry keeps his eyes away from Louis’.

“We shouldn’t have done this.” Harry says and his voice is, to Louis’ horror, almost as cold and harsh as it was the first time he heard him speak yesterday. “I can’t… This can’t happen again.”

“Harry, I’m sorry, I didn’t…” Louis says, but Harry is already walking out the door. He is not paying Louis any more attention.

Louis almost feels broken.

\---

“What happened between you?” Zayn whispers as Louis, dressed in new clothes they had found in the hotel’s washing room, enters the lobby where a lot of the people are hanging out. Clearly Niall’s been telling them all about what he had found in Louis’ room, because Louis sees no worried faces, only amused ones and he hears snickers here and there.

“Nothing.” Louis whispers back and desperately needs Zayn to trust him. “We just… I had a nightmare.”

Zayn looks like he wants to find out more, but then Liam walks over and Zayn is quiet, like he doesn’t want to question Louis in front of Liam and the others. Louis is nervous when he meets Liam’s eyes, not sure if Liam will be angry and yell.

Liam doesn’t look angry though and he doesn’t yell, he sits down next to Zayn and gives Louis a comforting glance.

“I heard what happened.” He says and hands Louis a cup of tea. “Hope Niall didn’t give you a hard time about it.”

“It’s okay.” Louis mumbles and feels the smell of the tea going up in his nostrils. It smells good. “I… Maybe we should have said something. You shouldn’t all have to be worried. It won’t happen again.”

As if to prove his point, Harry walks past their table and he barely looks at Louis, almost as if Louis isn’t even there. Louis doesn’t know why but it _hurts_ , so much.

Liam seems to notice it and he leans over the table to be able to whisper to Louis.

“Harry has never spent a night outside his room before. He must care about you.”

Louis shakes his head and for some reason it feels like he’s about to cry when he notices Harry disappearing up the stairs again, it felt like they had something and Louis isn’t sure how or why, but he doesn’t want to be treated like air. Liam smiles faintly and Zayn nods a little, like he knows what is going on and Louis doesn’t understand how he could know anything.

“Louis, it will be okay. Harry is just so… security is important. He must be feeling bad, that’s all.”

“Okay.” Louis says and tries to act like it’s nothing. It is, but they don’t have to know that. Zayn opens his mouth as if to ask another question, when Niall runs over to their table.

“Guys, Nick just saw some people outside being chased down the street by zombies. We should go out and try to help them out.”

Liam gets up immediately.

“Weapons.” He murmurs and Niall nods. Zayn gets up as well.

“I’m coming with you.”

“You don’t have to…”

“Shut up, I’m going.” Zayn says and it’s no discussion. Then Louis rises to his feet as well.

“I’ll come with you to.”

Liam looks at both of them just as Niall returns.

“Are you sure?”

Zayn looks at Louis and Louis looks at Zayn.

“Yeah, we’re going. Now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working on the next chapter, hope it will be out in a week! Thanks for reading. x


	3. Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the smut and almost near death

Louis gets a rifle from Niall. He is surprised to feel that he kind of misses his own rifle, but he dropped that in the store when the zombies started chasing them and now he probably will never find it again.

Zayn looks pleased with the gun Liam borrows him and then Niall walks over to the door. Before he starts opening up the doors he turns to Louis and Zayn.

“Are you sure you want to go out with us?” He asks and he looks a bit worried, like he isn’t sure they can handle it. It annoys Louis a little. They can handle themselves. It’s not like this is the first time they go outside. They’ve fought off several zombies. Zayn nods.

“Yeah, let’s go, hurry. We can’t let people die just because we’re too slow.”

Liam nods in agreement and as they are all armed, Niall opens the door.

Out in the street it’s still quiet. Niall closes the door after them and then he nods in a direction down the street.

“Let’s go, stick together.” He whispers and the other nods as well and Liam takes the lead, leading them all down the alley. He looks kind of like a soldier, his short hair and army jacket is really helping him out with the look.

Louis follows nervously, for some reason the day in the hotel, tucked away and hidden, has turned him back to the nervous nutcase he was the first day he was out in zombie-England. He swallows; trying to be calm as Liam now and then looks back at the other three, making sure everything is still okay with them. Being with Niall and Liam makes him feel a bit safer though, since strength in number is a good thing. Or so he’s been told.

They walk in silence down the street, making sure that every street corner they walk past is checked out, but there are no zombies in sight. Only disaster, abandoned cars, broken windows and street lights is visible.

“Where did they see the people?” Zayn whispers to Niall and Niall looks around.

“It was out here, but they are probably running, so…”

“Quiet.” Liam whispers suddenly and they are all silent. “I can hear something.” Liam continues and then he walks really carefully around the next corner. The street is leading up to a town square, there’s an abandon car and lots of trash everywhere, and what looks like blood and body parts that Louis doesn’t really feel the need to take a closer look at.

Then Louis looks to the left and that’s when he notices a spread out body on the pavement, which is horrifying and terrible, and he wants to avert his eyes from it but he can’t, because leaning over the body isn’t just three but four or five zombies that have been busy with the body until now.

One of them looks up and notices the group and growls slowly, rising to its feet as the others do the same.

Louis stumbles backward as do the rest of them, hands on their weapons, but then another group of zombies emerges from the other corner of the town square.

Louis looks at the others in terror and they look just as afraid as he is, and Liam signs for them to back away slowly, trying not to draw attention to them or attract more zombies.

And then they are almost surrounded. Out of pretty much every corner, and coming out from behind trash cans and abandon cars there’s a new zombie and there are so many of them, so many that Louis can’t even count.

“Run!” Liam yells and the entire group scatters. Louis tries to stick to Zayn but one of the zombies are in the way suddenly, turning its dead and disgusting face towards Louis and Louis turns around, running down a street that seems abandon and empty, much safer.

Louis runs until his legs are hurting and his insides are burning and takes a minute to stop, catching his breath as he tries to look where the others are. He can’t hear them, or see them and he is tempted to call out for Zayn but remembers that it would be _really_ stupid to do that – the zombies would probably find him right away if he made a sound. And Louis can’t deal with all of them, he just can’t.

He starts walking again, quickening his paste when he feels that his body can handle it and then he turns around a corner, thinking that it will be safer if he can make his way back to the hotel, hoping the others will do the same.

Louis walks straight into a dead-end. He sighs, angry at himself for not memorizing the way back and turns around, only to notice that in the end of the street is another zombie.

Good thing, it’s alone.

Bad thing, it’s cutting off Louis’ way out and he has to kill it. Louis reaches for his rifle, pointing it to the head of the zombie, about to fire when he takes one step back and trips over an empty crate lying out in the street. He falls over with a loud bang and his foot is stuck in something, Louis isn’t sure what but it twists his foot and Louis feels a burning pain, the rifle falling out of his hand as his body hits the pavement.

All the noise is getting the zombie’s attention, and it turns its dead eyes towards Louis.

 

\---

Harry is standing by the reception desk when Zayn, Niall and Liam comes running inside. He looks up by the sight of them and his face turns pale when he notices that there are only three of them.

“Where is Louis?”

His voice is really harsh and deep and Zayn looks around in terror, trying to catch his breath but having difficulties to breathe normally.

“Wait, he didn’t come back here? I thought…”

“You went back without him?” Two steps, and then Harry is really close to Liam, grabbing the collar of his shirt until Liam is almost choking. “You went back _without him_?”

“We got separated.” Liam says, trouble speaking because Harry’s hands are almost around his throat. “Let me go, Harry.”

Harry takes one look at Liam and then he lets go, turning his attention to Zayn and Niall, who both looks startled and terrified.

“What happened?” Harry asks, not letting go of Liam’s eyes. Liam swallows.

“We… they came out of nowhere. And we tried to stick together, but then they… and when we thought Louis had gone back to the hotel when he couldn’t find any of us, he was running in this direction when we last saw him and…”

Harry looks furious at all three of them. He’s just about to say something but then Zayn speaks up.

“Oh god, he’s still out there, alone.” Zayn falls to the ground, legs shaking. “Oh god, I left him out there.”

“I’m going to find him.” Harry says and then he walks over to Niall and grabs his gun. “Still got ammo?”

Niall nods, still shaking a bit.

“Yeah, I…”

“Lock the doors behind me.” Harry growls and then he is opening up the door again, heading outside before anyone can say anything.

\---

Louis feels the foul stench of rotten flesh and the zombie is growling close to him. He tries to get up and stumble backwards but his leg hurts so much, he must have twisted his ankle or something, maybe it’s even broken and now it’s almost impossible to do anything without feeling a burning pain. He is terrified to the point where he can’t even call out to the others, and he doesn’t know where they are anyway.

Louis watches the zombie, a girl by the looks of it and then he sees two others around the corner, noticing him and his beating heart and moving closer to him.

Louis reaches out for any kind of weapon he kind find, but it’s no good, the alley holds nothing but old crates and trash cans, and none of it will really help him now, his rifle is too far away for him to reach.

Louis closes his eyes as the zombie is taking the last steps towards him, prepares himself for pain. And that’s when he hears the gunfire.

Louis opens his eyes and watches someone shoot the zombies in the head, one by one. Confused he looks up and around, expecting to see Niall, Liam or Zayn appearing.

But then he sees Harry. Harry is standing on top of a pile of crates, shooting all the zombies one by one, not missing once and Louis is so thankful he wants to cry. The sight of Harry is the best thing he has ever seen. Ever.

Harry makes sure the zombies are all dead, then he is running over to Louis, gun in hand, carefully avoiding all the dead zombies as he makes his way over to Louis.

“Louis.” He pants as he gets closer to him, looking at Louis on the ground and he looks so worried Louis is so close to crying it’s not even funny. “Can you walk?”

Louis shakes his head and feels tears in his eyes out of pain as he tries to put down his foot.

“No, I…”

Harry watches him and then puts down the gun back into its holster and then he put his arms under Louis, sweeping him off the ground, lifting him up and holding him close, like Louis is weightless in his arms.

“I’ll get you inside.” Harry whispers into his ear and Louis feels like he’s about to faint from all the events happening to him today and from the pain in his leg.

Harry carries Louis carefully along the streets, avoiding all growls he can hear and no one finds them. He only puts Louis down when they are in front of the hotel because he has to open the door. As soon as it’s open he lifts Louis up again, and Louis puts his arms around Harry’s neck, hiding his face in his shoulder and trying not to cry from the pain in his leg.

“Louis!”

He hears Zayn’s voice and then people rushing over to him. They help Harry to put Louis down on a sofa in the reception and Louis doesn’t want to leave Harry’s arms, but Harry walks back to close the door, making sure that it’s locked properly. Louis looks around and notices Zayn, Liam and Niall all looking really worried.

“I’m so, so sorry.” Zayn has fallen to his knees in front of Louis, holding his hand and wiping the sweat out of Louis’ face with his free hand. “I’m so sorry, Lou. I thought you had made it back to the hotel, that’s why… Oh god, I left you out there.”

Zayn hides his face in his hands. Louis wants to tell Zayn that it’s okay, that he doesn’t mind, but then the pain in his leg gets even worse and he turns to the side and almost vomits all over Zayn’s lap, missing only by an inch, and the vomit is all over the floor instead.

“Where does it hurt, Louis?” Harry is quickly at his side, as Niall and Liam goes to find something to clean up the vomit with. “How do you feel?”

 Louis shudders.

“I… my ankle.” He says after trying to get the words out and Harry immediately looks at Louis’ ankle.

“I have to check it.” He says softly. “I’ll take you to my room, I have a first aid kit there and it will be more private than here.” He looks around to prove his point, and Louis sees that pretty much all of the people at the hotel are now looking at him.

“Can I do anything?” Zayn asks as Harry lift Louis’ up again, and Louis thankfully rests his head against Harry’s shoulder again.

“Ice packs. Water.” Harry says and Zayn hurries to the kitchen.

 

Louis doesn’t really remember the walk to Harry’s room, it’s like he almost falls asleep and then he wakes up just when Harry puts him down in the soft bed.

“I need to take your pants off.” Harry says and starts unbuttoning Louis’ pants to be able to pull them down and see where Louis is hurt. Louis just nods, feeling really tired and now his head hurts as well.

“Looks like a really bad sprain.” Harry comments after a while, just when Zayn walks into the room with water and ice. Zayn puts it down on the table near Harry’s bed and then he stands awkwardly next to the both of them, like he doesn’t know what he should do.

“Do you…”

“I’ve got this.” Harry says, not even looking at Zayn, only focusing on Louis’ ankle. “You can go back to the others. I think he needs to rest.”

Zayn nods and leans over the bed to kiss Louis on the forehead, stroking Louis’ hair.

“Oh, he’s really warm.” Zayn comments and looks worried. “He’s got a fever?”

“Probably from the pain, it will be okay.” Harry mumbles. Zayn squeezes Louis’ hand and Louis looks up at him with thankful eyes.

“I’ll be outside if you need me.” Zayn whispers and Louis nods, then closing his eyes, letting Harry continue with what he does.

Louis doesn’t really know what it is Harry is doing but he can feel the icepack Zayn brought pressed against his skin for a while, and then Harry tells him to take some pills and water, and then Louis feels really sleepy and closes his eyes, managing to nod off for a minute and when he opens his eyes again, he feels a lot better.

Around his ankle is a band aid keeping it steady. He tries to move it but it still hurts and he gives up on it. He takes a look around in the room and notices Harry curled up in an armchair, sleeping. His curls are like curtains around his face and Louis remembers how Harry saved him and carried him to the hotel like Harry is the hero and Louis a damsel in distress and Louis doesn’t know how it ended up like this. Harry looks so peaceful, so breathtaking, so beautiful Louis isn’t even sure he is real. Harry Styles is just too much for him to handle. Yet Louis never wants to wake up to another face again.

“Harry?” He whispers, not sure if he wants to wake him up because he looks that adorable, but then again he wants to talk to him. Harry opens his eyes at the sound of Louis’ voice.

“Hey you.” He mumbles and stretches out his arms, before getting up from the chair and walking over to the bed, sitting down there instead. “Do you feel better?”

Louis nods.

“For how long did I sleep?”

Harry smiles, his hand almost touching Louis’.

“Almost a day. You were kind of out of it. You had a fever. It’s better now.”

Louis doesn’t really understand how he just closed his eyes and slept for a day but he doubts Harry would lie to him about something like that, so he accepts it with no further questions.

“Thank you.” Louis whispers and his cheeks are flushed, he can feel it and Harry turns a shade of pink as well by the sight of him.

“You can’t do that again.” Harry whispers and his hand is almost brushing Louis’. “You can’t almost get killed, I…”

“I’m sorry.” Louis mumbles and looks down, feeling a bit embarrassed and a bit stupid. Then Harry’s hand is on his chin, tilting his head up so that they can look at each other.

“I care about you.” Harry whispers and Louis feels a bit like he is about to faint, because Harry’s eyes are dark green and beautiful and _so_ close, and it’s been ages since someone looked at Louis with eyes like that, Louis isn’t actually sure it has ever happened and _wow_.

“I thought you didn’t.” Louis blurts out, feeling lost and stupid. “I mean you… the other morning, I…”

“I’m sorry about ignoring you.” Harry whispers and he feels so close to Louis. “I really do care. About you.”

“We don’t really know each other.” Louis whispers, feeling stupid because it’s a lie, he feels like he knows Harry, and even if they don’t know everything about each other it doesn’t matter. Harry walked out into a near death-situation to _save_ Louis. Harry did that.

“I know we don’t.” Harry replies and now he is leaning in closer to Louis. Louis can feel Harry’s warm breath on his skin, and the warmth from his body as it’s almost pressing against Louis’ own and Louis wants Harry closer. “But I know I don’t want you to disappear.”

Louis isn’t sure how his body is even working right now, but he lifts his hand up and lets it run through Harry’s curls, before cupping his neck.

“It’s not a good idea to have feelings for someone in zombie-England.” Louis whispers and Harry smiles faintly.

“I didn’t plan for it. You just showed up. That night was…”

“I know.” Louis mumbles and he really doesn’t need Harry to finish the sentence, he just need to look at him to understand what it is he’s talking about. Harry swallows as Louis’ fingers nuzzle the back of his neck.

“I shouldn’t kiss you right now.” Harry mumbles, eyes half closed and fixated on Louis’ lips. “I really shouldn’t. That would be like… taking advantage of you. You’re hurt.”

“I know what I’m doing.” Louis whispers, pulling Harry a tad bit closer. Harry swallows again. He’s so close now, their lips are only an inch apart and Louis so desperately wants to taste him, so desperately wants to let his lips come in contact with Harry’s.

“When they came back without you.” Harry mumbles and his voice is weak. “I was so scared. I thought you had… And the last thing I did was treat you like…”

“I’m still here.” Louis whispers and lets both his hands move up to Harry’s neck. “I’m still here.”

“Don’t leave me.” Harry whispers and then he closes the distance between them.

Harry tastes like something Louis can’t quite make out. He tries to figure out what it is but it’s impossible to do so, and instead Louis allows himself to get lost in the kiss, deciding that the taste is Harry and just Harry, and nothing else. Harry’s lips touches Louis’, they are soft and warm, wet almost and then Harry’s tongue presses against Louis’ lips and Louis’ lips are parting, granting Harry access to his mouth and his tongue.

Harry’s tongue swirls around inside Louis’ mouth and Louis whimpers in Harry’s arms, pulling Harry even closer, down on top of him on the bed and Harry carefully lay down on top of Louis, careful not to hurt his leg.

For a couple of minutes it’s only Louis and Harry, nothing else in the world even matters. Louis isn’t sure how this is even happened but it’s happening, and it’s more beautiful than Louis could ever imagine. Harry is fantastic. He’s like a dream, something Louis was craving for since forever, but he just didn’t realize it until now.

Harry lets go of Louis’ lips for a second, only to look into his eyes, smiling as he softly caress Louis’ neck.

“Where have you been all my life?” Harry whispers and he is soft and sweet and amazing and Louis can’t really understand how someone this sweet could come off as so harsh and cold only days ago.

“Where have _you_ been all my life?” Louis replies back and Harry laughs, and then closes the distance between their lips again.

Louis, only dressed in a shirt and boxers have no problem as he feels the blood starts rushing in all other directions than his brain, but Harry is wearing the same tight jeans he’s always wearing and soon Louis feels his erection pressing into Louis, and Harry whimpers. Louis isn’t really sure it’s too soon to start touching him, but then again Harry is obviously just as turned on as he is, and Louis is too far gone to not want anything more and slowly he cups Harry’s erection through his jeans.

“ _Nnngh_.” Harry moans into Louis’ mouth and it spurs Louis on, and he lets his fingers undo Harry’s button. Harry shivers by the touch of Louis’ fingers against his naked skin. Louis lets his hands wander up Harry’s shirt to touch his chest, and he is more than pleased to find erected nipples.

Louis wants to kiss, to lick, to feel and he starts tugging at Harry’s shirt, wanting it off and Harry complies, helping Louis pull the shirt over his head and toss it on the floor. Louis takes a moment just to admire Harry’s body again and then he takes one of Harry’s nipples into his mouth.

Harry gasps by the feeling of Louis tongue and Louis keeps sucking, licking and then unzips Harry’s pants, so in need to feel more of him, and he’s just about to pull the pants down when Harry grabs his shoulders, pushing him down onto the bed.

“No more teasing.” Harry gasps, his cheeks are flushed and his eyes almost dark with lust and Louis moans only by the sight of him, and then Harry quickly helps to get rid of all the remaining clothing separating them from each other.

Both naked, sweating and panting now, Louis’ eyes shutter close as he feels Harry rolling their hips together, his very erected cock slick with precome sliding against his own and Louis thinks that maybe, just maybe he could come just like this and he’s pretty sure it would be amazing, even though he doesn’t want it to end just yet.

“Can I blow you?” Harry murmurs and Louis gasps by the sound of his words.

“God, _yes_ , Harry.” He moans, hoping he doesn’t sound like an idiot but he can’t even control himself, he’s so lost in passion there’s no way back and he can’t even remember when he lost control over himself like this last time, but he doesn’t mind. Harry smiles into Louis’ neck and kisses him softly there, then moving on to his shoulder where he bites down, leaving a mark and Louis loves it.

Harry continues down Louis’ naked torso, pressing soft kisses, suckles and sometimes bites down all the way to his belly button, which he stops to lick and kiss on for a couple of minutes, long enough for Louis to go crazy as he feels his cock against Harry’s neck. Harry seems to notice Louis grasping at the sheets almost desperate and then finally, he moves his head even lower and finally, finally his lips come in contact with the head of Louis’ cock.

It’s soft at first, almost just teasing, then Harry’s tongue dart out over the head, licking at the slit and soon his lips are around the head, right when his right hand grabs Louis shaft, starts pumping the erection just when he lowers his head and takes more of Louis into his mouth.

Louis is now maybe as lost as you can be. He watches Harry go down on him but then he falls back onto the pillow, closing his eyes as he moans loudly, wondering for a vast second if anyone will hear them but then he doesn’t care, it doesn’t matter, Harry is blowing him and it is so _good_.

Harry’s tongue swirls around his shaft, sucking hard, taking almost all of Louis into his mouth, hollowing his cheek, using all kind of techniques Louis didn’t even know _existed_ until now but obviously Harry knows about them.

Louis comes almost immediately but he doesn’t want to, he want more of Harry and therefor he tries to think of other things than what’s going on in the bed right now, but thinking is really difficult and instead he reaches down to grab Harry’s curls.

“Harry.” He moans, feeling his climax close. “Harry, you should… god.”

Harry looks up for a second, letting go of Louis and grins.

“Don’t want you staining my sheets, Lou.”

And then he lowers his head again and this time he takes all of Louis into his mouth, sucking harder than before, letting his tongue swirl around Louis shaft and Louis has tears in his eyes out of lust when he watches him.

It only takes a few seconds and then Louis is coming, deep in Harry’s throat and Harry swallows it then gasps, falling down on the bed next to Louis. Louis watches him with eyes still filled with lust, and he lets his hand caress Harry’s stomach before grabbing his cock.

Harry is hard, really hard, Louis looks down and he can see every vein, filled with blood and Harry closes his eyes, his breathing getting heavier again.

It doesn’t take many pumps of Louis wrists before Harry is coming, his come is all over Louis’ hand and his own stomach.

For a moment they just lay there, trying to control their breathing and calming down. Then Harry’s come starts feeling sticky on both Louis’ hand and Harry’s stomach. Harry laughs nervously.

“Disgusting.”

“Beautiful.” Louis whispers and leans up to kiss Harry’s lips. Harry smiles into the kiss.

“But a bit disgusting. We should go wash up.”

 

They are both in the shower, Louis really enjoying both the feeling of Harry’s skin close to his, his hands roaming all over his body like it’s his, and his only. The water is nice too, and Louis closes his eyes, letting everything wash over him, when there’s a loud knock on the door to the hotel room.

“Harry? You’re in there? Open up!”

“Niall.” Harry whispers. Then he speaks up. “Yeah, we’re just showe… I mean, I’m just…”

“What do you mean you’re both in the shower?!” Niall’s voice is squeaky and loud. “Oh my god, you fucked.”

“No, we didn’t, Niall, it’s nothing.” Harry yells back to him and Louis can’t help but smile. He hears Niall snicker.

“You can’t lie for shit, Styles.” He says. “Man, can’t believe you got laid. Well, I’ll let you get back to it.”

“Thank you Niall.” Louis shouts and Harry first looks a bit horrified but then he laughs.

“You do know Niall will probably tell everyone about this?”

“I don’t care.” Louis grins and leans in to kiss him. “Let them know.”

\---

Zayn almost tackles Louis to the ground when he walks into the reception, feeling a bit limp, but actually a lot better. If he walks carefully his ankle doesn’t really hurt at all.

“Louis, oh god!” Zayn cries and hugs him tightly. “I will never, ever leave you again. We will stick together, no matter what. I feel so bad, I shouldn’t have… how’s your leg?”

“It’s okay, Zayn.” Louis calms him. “Really, you did what we all should do in that situation. We have to save ourselves.”

“I don’t want to be alive only because I… sacrificed you.” Zayn mumbles and Louis smiles, then hugging him again.

“You didn’t.”

Liam and Niall also walk over to him, after greeting Harry who came down to the reception at the same time but then had to talk to Nick.

“I’m really glad you are okay, Louis.” Liam says and pats his shoulder. “We were afraid that the fever would get to you. But I have heard you had a good nurse.”

He nods towards Harry and Louis doesn’t mean to, but he blushes.

“Harry’s great.” He says, and Niall grins.

“In bed or…”

“Oh, just shut up Niall.”

Harry joins in on the conversation. Louis smiles when he notices how Harry stands really close to him, their hands almost touching. It feels so good. Harry’s face turns serious though.

“Nick just told me about the radio. Are you sure?”

“What about the radio?” Louis asks as the others nod. He feels extremely out of the loop. Liam turns to Louis.

“Nick and the gang found a transmitter. Radio. Thing. I’m not really good at all that, but they heard an emergency signal. Apparently people are still hiding in a mall not far from here, and the thing is, it’s close to Central.”

“The Central Research Lab.” Niall explains, when Louis’ face is looking puzzled. “Last we heard, they were trying to find a cure. Could be that the people in the mall knows something about it.”

“But we don’t know if the emergency signal is right.” Zayn says. “Maybe it’s a trap, or maybe there’s just no one there anymore. Could be zombie infested.”

“Possibility.” Harry says and now he looks serious, almost cold again, complete opposite from the hotel room. Louis doesn’t really like it. “But we should check it out. We could save someone. Maybe find a cure.”

“Harry, I’m still not sure…” Liam speaks up, but Harry stares at him.

“Liam, this is the first thing we’ve heard in weeks.”

“I know, but we can’t just go rushing into it!” Liam protests. “We don’t know what it looks like.”

“We’ll find plans. And maps.” Harry says. “We have to do this. I’m going anyway. You gonna help me?”

He looks at Louis, and Louis doesn’t know why it’s so easy to decide, but he nods right away.

“Yes, I… yes.”

“I’ll go, if there’s a good plan.” Zayn hurries to say. “I’m not leaving Louis’ side again, not if you’re going outside.”

Harry looks to Niall and Liam. Niall shrugs.

“I guess I could.”

Liam looks at Zayn before he replies, and Louis thinks that maybe, just maybe they are both blushing. He’s not sure.

“If there’s a good plan, Harry.” Liam says, now turning to Harry. “A good plan. Really good. Then I will go, too.”

Harry nods.

“We’ll start working tonight. We’ll leave in a couple of days, when Louis’ ankle is better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I try to write one chapter a week, I hope I will have time for writing next week as well x


	4. Running

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More zombies, yay!

Louis doesn’t want to be one to complain. As Harry starts planning how to get out there, to the signal, without risking their lives, Louis is happy that he actually is working on getting them out of there. Really happy.

Only problem is, that with all the planning, Harry doesn’t really have time for Louis anymore. And Louis doesn’t want to be that guy, and he really shouldn’t be that guy because hey, zombie apocalypse, way worse than a few lost blowjobs but it’s just.

It’s _Harry_.

And Louis is like addicted already, to feeling Harry close to him, feel Harry’s hands roaming all over his boy, finding all his sensitive spots and Louis just wants that. He wants to fall asleep with Harry. He wants to wake up with him. He wants to snog him until they are all out of breath, sharing romantic kisses, hugs, holding Harry like there’s no tomorrow.

But there’s just no time for that. And Louis doesn’t want to whine. He really doesn’t want that. But he just wants to feel Harry again. He wants to learn everything there is to know about him. He wants so much and really, it’s pathetic. He knows that. He just isn’t sure on how he can stop feeling this way.

Also there’s this thing where his ankle isn’t really getting better. It was getting better, at least Louis thought it was because it didn’t hurt that much. But then it started getting worse again. Harry notices one night, when they are both in bed after Harry working with Liam with some plans while Zayn, Niall and Louis look up weapons, that Louis’ ankle is even more swollen than it used to be.

Harry looks worried when he softly touches the ankle, trying to get a good look at it without actually hurting Louis.

“Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?”

“I’m sure.” Louis lies, but as Harry touches it again, this time not that softly, Louis’ face crumples and Harry sighs.

“You can’t lie to me about this, Louis. I don’t want it to get worse.”

“I’m okay, really.” Louis says and pulls at Harry’s arm to get him to ignore the ankle and instead come to kiss Louis until they both fall asleep. Harry doesn’t budge though, and Louis lets out a disappointed sigh as he falls back to the pillows and Harry starts massaging the ankle, carefully.

It isn’t that bad. It just hurts as hell and Louis gets tears in his eyes.

“I think you need to rest it for more than a few days.” Harry says and he finally, _finally_ lies down next to Louis. “You should stay while the rest of us go check…”

“No!” Louis protests loudly. “No, Harry. I am not staying here while the rest of you are out there risking your lives. I’m going with you!”

Harry grabs Louis’ shoulders, looking at him and Louis swallows because Harry’s eyes look dark serious.

“Louis, you can’t go. Not with an ankle like that. How are you supposed to move?”

“I can walk.” Louis mutters and suddenly he feels angry, not really at Harry, just angry at everything. Mostly at himself for being stupid and getting hurt, and almost eaten. It is so stupid.

Harry smiles, but it’s a worried smile and not really genuine, very much unlike his other smile, the real one, the one Louis has come to appreciate so much.

“I can’t lose you, Louis.” Harry whispers and his fingers touches Louis’ chin gently. “You know that. I can’t… And if you go out like that, it’s like a death trap. And that’s just… I can’t let you go out there if I don’t know you’re safe. And this?” He nods at Louis’ ankle. “This is not safe. This is… this is just not safe Louis.”

“You can’t leave without me.” Louis whispers and he really doesn’t want to cry. “I can’t. If anything happens, you’d all be gone and I… I can’t lose you. I can’t lose Zayn. I don’t want to split up. Never.”

Harry looks at Louis and pulls him closer into a kiss. His breath is warm against Louis’ neck.

“Fine.” He breathes out and Louis’ body is filled with joy. “We won’t leave without you. But we’re putting this thing on hold then, because your ankle still needs rest. I’ll tell the others tomorrow.”

Louis cuddles up to Harry, playing with one of his curls. Suddenly he feels a bit bad for being like this, acting like he is a selfish git but he can’t help himself.

“I’m sorry that I…”

“Don’t be.” Harry interrupts and kisses him again. “Don’t be sorry, Lou. I understand.”

Louis wonders if Harry really does understand, and part of him is really worried that Harry actually is angry because he’s making them wait, but Louis doesn’t want to think about that. All he wants to think about his Harry’s lips against his, the way they fit perfectly together.

He tries to ignore the pain in his ankle before drifting off to sleep.

\---

Niall and Liam look happy when Harry tells them at breakfast that they’re going to wait until Louis’ ankle is better. Zayn looks worried though, but mostly because Louis’ ankle isn’t getting any better, not about the fact that they aren’t leaving for the mall right away.

“Are you sure it will be okay?” He asks Harry after they have finished breakfast and the discussion about the plans. “Because, if it’s…”

“Zayn, I will be fine.” Louis tells him, and he really hope that he will be okay soon because everyone worrying about him? Not that funny. He worries enough about them, and himself, and pretty much everything for others to do the same. Zayn looks like he wants to say something but he doesn’t, instead he just shakes his head, like he knows Louis is impossible when he is like this.

Niall opens his mouth to speak instead, but he is interrupted by a loud growl coming from outside. Liam tenses up.

“They’re getting closer to the doors.” He says and he looks a bit worried. “I am sure they can’t get inside, but I think they’re starting to understand there’s something in here. Maybe they are running out of food or something.”

Louis looks at the doors. The locks are incredible, they are, and he would be really surprised if the zombies could get inside. Still, there’s zombies. Outside. And they want to eat him. And all his friends. It doesn’t really feel that good.

Harry looks determined as he speaks again.

 “We have to put an end to this.” He says and he looks so much like a leader, Louis is impressed. He would follow Harry in anything and some part of him hates that, because he knows he trusts Harry with everything, maybe too much. Maybe he shouldn’t. He can’t help it though.

“Hopefully we will find something.” Liam says and his voice is calm and soft, and he glances over at Zayn, and Louis can’t help but smile.

“We _have_ to find something.” Harry says and there’s a hint of desperation in his voice that have Louis worrying a bit about him. “We just have to. We can’t live like this.”

“We will stop it, Harry.” Niall says calmly. Harry looks at the door. The growling continues.

“I hope so.”

\---

It takes four more days for the swelling on Louis’ ankle to go down completely, and after 6 days he feels so much better, like he can actually walk and run with it. Harry examines him one afternoon and looks pleased with the result.

“Thank god.” He says and he looks really thankful, like he has been praying for this and finally his prayers were answered. “This is great, Louis. Do you really feel better?”

“Like I’m the king of the world.” Louis says and Harry smiles, leaning in to kiss him softly and slowly.

“Good, good.” Harry whispers and Louis whimpers a bit, deepening the kiss because Harry looks so gorgeous when he is this close to him, well, he always looks gorgeous but it’s different when it’s like this, different when he leans in to Louis and Louis can see everything in his face. The dimples, the freckles, the tiny scars Louis hasn’t asked about yet. Just everything.

Harry doesn’t mind the deeper kiss and he kisses him until they are out of breath, which is just the time when Niall choses to show up.

“Oi, no groping when there’s people around!” Niall says and hides his face in his hands. “I have enough of that hanging around with Zayn and Liam.”

Louis blinks in surprise, and isn’t really sure he actually just heard that.

“Zayn and Liam _kiss_?”

Niall grins, looking extremely pleased that he could be the one to tell them this.

“Only when they think none of us see them. Except I see them. All the time. They aren’t very good at hiding, Jesus Christ. Oh well, that is not the point here, we need you downstairs.”

Harry gets up immediately.

“What’s going on?”

“Nick listened in on another signal, a new one. Something’s going on, I think we have to get over there.” Niall says and his face is now serious, hard to understand that just a few seconds ago he was grinning about Liam and Zayn sharing kisses in secret.

Harry’s face turns serious as well.

“From the mall? Okay, we can’t wait. We have to get over there. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

Louis practically jumps up from the bed.

“Yes, yes I am. Let’s go.”

 

They head downstairs and Zayn and Liam are there, awaiting the rest of them. Nick is holding onto the radio. He looks worried.

“Just came in, girl wanting help, she sounds terrified.” Nick says and he lets Harry and Louis listen to the message. It is a girl, and she sounds terrified as she cries out for help, that they have found something and then the message is cut. It is almost painful to listen to. Harry walks over to the reception, grabbing his gun along with the maps they have spent the evenings and days looking at.

“We’re going now.” Harry says, looking at the rest of them. “Suit up, everybody. And Nick, you stay here, try to see if you can get the signal to go the other way, okay? That way we can contact each other.”

Nick nods, and he walks back to the table where he and a couple of the other guys which Louis can’t even name, are working with the radio.

“Okay.” Harry says and looks around at Louis, Zayn, Niall and Liam who are all ready to go outside. “We have to get passed the zombies. There’s probably a few at the door, considering all the growling lately. You know they don’t travel very far. I’ll go first, Liam you cover me.”

Liam nods and he looks determined as he props up his rifle.

Harry turns to Niall, Zayn and Louis.

“You cover Liam and me. Go for the heads, remember you have to shoot them in the head. Double tap if possible. And just, follow me, okay? I know the fastest way to the mall.”

Louis so desperately doesn’t want it to be like this, he looks at Harry, about to go into war or something and Louis just wishes it wasn’t like this, wishes he had met Harry when everything was normal. No zombies, no flesh eating creatures outside. Just him, just Harry.

Zayn grabs ahold of Louis’ arm as Harry turns to open the door.

“Louis, are you sure you’re okay? Your ankle?”

“I’m fine.” Louis whispers back. “It will be fine.”

Zayn is pale, but he nods and wipes his forehead clean of sweat.

“1, 2, 3…”

Louis hears Harry’s voice as the doors open up. Gunfire follow immediately as Harry makes his way outside, followed by Liam.

“Let’s go.” Niall shouts and runs out after them. “Close the door behind us!”

Louis follows Niall outside, Zayn at his side and then the doors close behind them.

\---

Four zombies are dead in the streets. Harry and Liam make sure they are really dead-dead before Harry signals to the other three to come closer.

“We’re going this way.” Harry points to a street, the opposite direction of where they went the last time Louis was outside. “It’s a bit tricky to find at first, but I think it will be okay. Just follow me, okay, and make sure nothing bites you.”

Louis wants to walk next to Harry so bad, but Liam takes the front and Louis feels that maybe he shouldn’t break the rules, if there are rules, so instead he follows with Zayn and Niall.

The streets are quiet, almost too quiet. Louis thinks they are bound to run into zombies sooner or later, they must have heard the sound of gunfire.

They make their way through streets that have abandon cars, trash everywhere and metro stations looking like a bomb hit the signs. Louis feels awful. He can’t believe this has happened. It’s crazy. It’s like a nightmare.

Zayn kills off a zombie boy with his pocket knife when they make it across a road to get to the other side and Harry signals for them all to keep going, as they hear growls coming from street corners behind them.

Louis wants to ask for how long they will have to keep walking, not that his ankle is really worrying him, but he doesn’t want it to start bugging him too soon. He doesn’t want to ask though, Harry and Liam looks determined to make their way to the mall without any distractions, and Louis doesn’t want to be a distraction. Anything but a distraction.

“We’re just a few miles away.” Harry whispers after a while, and Louis sighs with relief. Harry looks back at Louis and gives him a half smile, half his face hidden behind his curls.

“You okay back there, Lou?”

Louis is about to answer when Niall cuts in.

“We’re all okay, thank you very much Haz.”

“Shut up, Niall.” Harry says and then Liam hushes all of them.

“There’s something over there.” Liam says. Louis tries to see. He notices a sign pointing to a mall which is good, it means they are going the right way.

“We’re closing in.” Harry says. We have to be almost there.”

When they round a street corner Zayn gasps.

They can see the mall, it’s big. Huge, even. It looks a bit like a war zone like rest of London, but the worst thing is a bunch of zombies outside.

“Fuck.” Harry hisses as they watch the zombies walk back and forth outside the entrance. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. We can’t get past that.”

“Isn’t there another way?” Louis whispers and Liam looks over at him, keeping his voice down so that they will draw no attention to themselves.

“Maybe. If we can go around the back. Do you think we can do that without them noticing?”

“If we create a diversion.” Niall says with a serious face. “I’ll get them to chase me, and you go around back.”

“Niall, no!” Zayn says, almost a bit too loud which has Harry looking over at the crowd of zombies but they are still busy growling and walking outside the mall, maybe trying to get inside, they are not sure.

Niall doesn’t budge though, even though they are all staring at him.

“Guys, this is important, okay? And anyway, I’m always faster than the zombies, all the time. I’ll make some noise, get them to turn to me and that way you can get to the back of the mall easily, without them trying to eat you. Isn’t that a good plan?”

“No, it’s not.” Louis grabs Niall’s arm while Liam looks pale and like he’s about to get sick. “We can’t leave you out here alone. We won’t do that.”

“You’re not leaving me out here.” Niall says and he looks like he’s already decided. “This isn’t you leaving me, okay? This is _me_ helping you out. And anyway, once you’ve gotten the doors open back there I will come back, okay? Just make sure they are open.”

“10 minutes.” Harry says after a short silence. “10 minutes. You let them chase you for 10 minutes before you double back, okay? We will have the back door open. You know where it is right, it was on the map?”

“Of course I know where it is.” Niall says and he grabs ahold of his rifle. “I will get there.”

“You can’t seriously be thinking that this is a good idea.” Zayn says, staring at Harry. “You can’t let Niall go!”

“It is the only way without endangering all of us.” Harry spits out, apparently he doesn’t like to be questioned and Louis stares at him, a bit shocked by the fact, and at the same time he knows that Harry is right, probably more so than the rest of us.

“I will be okay.” Niall says, looking at Liam with his big eyes, and they look calm, calmer than any of the others. “I’m small, quick, I’ve got a better cardio than all of you. It won’t be dangerous for me.”

Liam touches Niall’s shoulder.

“I hope you’re right, mate.”

“Of course I am right.” Niall says. “Now get ready, we’re going!”

Louis wants to say something but he’s out of words, he just stares at Niall for a minute or so, trying to come up with at least something to say but he’s lost. Instead Harry nudges his arm to get his attention.

“Louis, I’m going to take the lead with Liam, I need you and Zayn to cover us in case Niall doesn’t manage to get all the zombies with him. Okay?”

Louis looks at Harry, his eyes look worried and Louis nods. Harry breathes out, like he was afraid Louis would freak out on him. Harry turns to Zayn.

“When we get to the door, you really need to cover us while we try to get it open. Can you do that?”

“Yes, of course.” Zayn nods. “We’ll manage, don’t worry.”

“Good.” Harry then turns to Niall and his expression is softer again, Louis notices. Niall still looks calm though. “10 minutes, Niall. Make it back. Promise to make it back.”

“I promise.” Niall whispers and gets ready. Harry counts down.

“3, 2, 1…”

Niall starts running down the street, firing a shot as he runs.

“Come on brain cunts, follow me!” Niall yells, and as on command all the zombies turn their dead eyes towards him and growls at the sight of something moving, something alive. One by one they start following him, some of them faster than others.

When most of them are turned to Niall, Harry starts running.

“We’re going round the side, guys. Let’s go, let’s go, quiet!”

Trying to run and be quiet at the same time is really difficult, but Louis is glad that at least they are all wearing sneakers that aren’t squeaky, and the fact that all of the zombies have their attention turned on Niall.

Harry makes it round the mall together with Liam, and Zayn and Harry follows. Louis is tempted to keep looking over his shoulder, to see if he can see how Niall is doing but he can’t he have to keep track of what they are doing.

Thankfully they don’t run into any zombies at all, they make it to the back and Harry looks around for a few seconds before he finds the back door.

“Used for deliveries when this place was still up and running.” Harry says and runs up the stairs to get to the door and grab the door handle. “Liam, help me!”

While Zayn and Louis are on the lookout for zombies, Harry and Liam manages to open the door even though it takes them a while – the door is heavy and hasn’t been used in a while and when they open it there’s a loud screeching sound.

“That must have been heard by the zombies.” Liam hisses and signals for Louis and Zayn to get inside. “Hurry, hurry!”

Running up the stairs two steps at the time Louis and Zayn catches up with Harry and Liam, and get inside. Harry closes the door, looking at his watch.

“If Niall sticks to the plan he will be here in two minutes.” Harry says nervously. “He will be here in two minutes.

“He will get here.” Liam says, looking at his watch as well, biting down on his lip. “He will.”

“I’m sure he will be, I’m sure.” Louis whispers and he tries to not be nervous about it. He knows that Niall can handle himself.

“We’re inside, anyway.” Zayn says and tries to look around. It’s dark, but it’s still obvious they are in some kind of item area, where the mall used to get all their deliveries and keep them there until they were needed out in the stores. It doesn’t look like anything’s in there now.

“No zombies, all clear.” Liam says, who follows Zayn’s lead to check the area. Louis touches Harry’s arm and he flinches, still looking at his watch.

“It’s been 12 minutes.” Harry says nervously. “He should be back.”

He opens the little window on the door to see if he can see Niall outside, but he doesn’t. They don’t hear anything either.

When 20 minutes has passed Louis feels that he might be sick.

“He has to…” Harry mumbles, still looking out the window. “He can’t…”

“We should get to the front doors.” Liam says and touches Harry’s arm gently. “Maybe he can’t get back here. I can stay here, be on the lookout. If you three make your way to the front.”

“I’m staying with you!” Zayn says. “You can’t be here by yourself, you need someone to cover you.”

Liam smiles a little, but it isn’t a smile that last very long.

“Fine, fine. But Harry, you and Louis should really see what’s out front, okay?”

Harry looks like he wants to protests but then he nods, like he understands that they have to do this.

“Yes. Yes you’re right, he might need another exit. We’ll go. You’re coming with me, Louis?”

“Of course.” Louis says, thinking there isn’t anywhere ever that he wouldn’t follow Harry to.

He hugs Zayn before leaving. Harry takes the lead, as usual.

They make their way out in the mall. It looks a bit chaotic, but they make it past a fountain and some abandon clothing stores and except for a mess, they don’t see anything. No dead, no zombies, no injured people. Louis sighs with relief.

“Don’t relax.” Harry warns him. “We don’t know if something will happen when we least expect it. Let’s go.”

Their hands brushing each other, they make their way across the floor and soon they are in front of the big, glass doors that they couldn’t get past before. Harry looks outside.

The zombies are back, a few of them anyway. Their dead faces are turned to inside the mall, where they are now noticing Harry and Louis. They growl and try to get inside, but the doors are locked.

Louis’ heart is beating so fast.

“I can’t see Niall.” Harry says. “Do you see Niall, Louis?”

Louis shakes his head, and he can’t take his eyes off the zombies outside. Harry curses.

“Fuck, Niall. He can’t… he must have doubled back, he wouldn’t…”

Louis grabs Harry’s hand, holding it. Harry is shaking.

“I’m sure he’s fine.” Louis whispers, forcing himself to look away from the zombies, looking at Harry instead. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“Yes, he’s…” Harry says, but his voice trails off. “We should go back to Zayn and Liam, they will… Maybe he’s there already.”

“Maybe.” Louis echoes and he refuses to let go of Harry’s hand. Harry doesn’t seem to mind though, he squeezes Louis’ hand and pulls him with him, away from the glass doors and the zombies.

They are just about to walk past the fountain again, when they are interrupted by a loud voice.

“Oi, you guys.”

Harry looks up. On the second floor, just by the escalator, there’s a girl standing. She has long, dark hair and dressed in black pants and a purple shirt, holding on to a gun which she is now pointing towards Harry and Louis. By her side there are two other girls, and they look as vicious as she does, holding rifles, being dressed in cargo pants and tank tops.

Louis wants to raise his hands in surrender, but Harry points his own gun towards the girls.

“Who are you?” Harry yells, and his voice must have been heard by Zayn and Liam because suddenly they come running towards him and Louis, standing side to side with them. They look confused when they notice the girls, and Louis shudders as Zayn seems to look to him for answers.

The girl in the front snorts.

“You come to our place and you question us? Really, not a wise move, curl head.”

“We’re here to… help you.” Louis says, and when he says it out loud it sounds stupid, and the girls must think so too, because they take one look at him and then they start laughing.

“You’re here to help us? Really. Why?”

“We heard the radio signal.” Liam speaks up. “You were calling out for help.”

The girls whisper something among themselves.

“You come from the hotel?” One of the girls then asks, and they get a nod in response. The girl in the front sighs.

“I’d hoped military or something would hear the signal but…”

“How many of you are here?” Harry shouts. “Are you close to Central?”

“There’s a few of us.” The girl in the front replies. “We’ve made camp on the third floor, it’s nearly intact.” She stares at the four of them for a while before she seems to decide to trust them. “You’re not bitten?”

Harry sighs.

“No.”

“Fine, come with us then.” The girl says and points towards the stairs. “We’ll show you what we have. It’s safer up there, and we don’t have to stand the growls.”

Harry makes a move to follow the girls and Louis grabs his arm.

“Wait.” Louis says and glances over to the doors. “Niall.”

Harry swallows and looks at Liam and Zayn, as if to see if they heard anything, but Liam shakes his head, looking absolutely devastated.

Louis wants to fall down to the floor and cry.

“Oh, by the way.” One of the girls shouts. “This is yours, I guess?”

She pushes a bleached blonde boy in front of them.

“Niall!” Zayn yells and he’s running up the stairs, followed by Louis, Harry and Liam, who looks so grateful he wants to cry.

Niall has a cut over his eye and it’s bleeding a bit, but he smiles goofily at them when they’ve made their way up the stairs.

“Hey guys.” He says. “I told you I could do it, right?”

“You helped him?” Harry asks the girls, and they nod.

“You can’t outrun the zombies for that long. We managed to get him up the fire exit stairs and inside before they got to him.” The front girl says. She then reaches out to shake Harry’s hand.

“I’m Eleanor by the way.”

“I’m Danielle.” One of the other girls says, before the last girl tells them that her name is Perrie.

Harry introduces all of them. Louis and Liam lets Niall lean on them for support as he seems a bit dizzy. Eleanor looks at them all before she speaks again.

“We’ve been camped up in here for ages. But now they’ve found it.”

“Found what?” Harry demands to know and Eleanor is quiet for a while, glancing over at Danielle and Perrie as if she isn’t sure if she should tell, but they nod and Eleanor sighs.

“The cure. We think they have it. We think… it could work.”

“You have the cure?” Zayn asks and he looks like he can’t believe it. “For real, how does it work?”

“That’s the thing.” Danielle says, biting her bottom lip. “We don’t really know. We need someone to help us out with it, but we’re not sure… We can’t get to Central easily anymore, they were overrun and closed up all the doors just when we got the first dose.”

“There’s still people in Central?” Harry asks and Perrie nods.

“Yes, there’s always been. They have been researching since this whole thing broke out.”

Louis feels relieved.

“They can save us?” He asks, and Eleanor stares at him.

“We don’t know. It isn’t that easy. I don’t think they’ve tested it on anyone yet. We were supposed to get instructions but well… yeah.”

“We have to find out.” Harry says and he looks determined as he looks at the girls. “Will you show us your camp? And do you think it’s possible for us to send a radio signal back to our friends at the hotel?”

Eleanor nods and signals for Danielle to take the lead.

“Sure. But don’t make me regret trusting you with all this. We don’t want to lose everything.”

“You can trust us.” Louis says and Harry nods.

“We want out of this just as much as you guys do.”

Eleanor nods, and then she follows Danielle and Perrie to the stairs. Louis grabs a hold of Harry’s hand and holding onto Niall, they make their way to the stairs as well.

Louis wonders what will happen now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last :) x


	5. Saving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand we're at the end! Thank you to everyone reading and commenting and everything, it's been really fun to write this and I really hope you'll like the last chapter as well! Thank you x Check out my other fanfics if you want to read more of my work, and I love you all!

They walk for a couple of minutes to get to the floor where the girls and their group have made camp. They seemed to have used everything they can get from the different stores in the mall, and it looks really cozy. If it wasn’t for the fact that they live in the constant fear of zombies getting inside and eat them, Louis thinks that he would actually like to live this way.

There aren’t too many people, but Louis thinks there are more of them than there are back at the hotel anyway. They all look a bit curious and a bit suspicious at the newcomers when they come closer. Eleanor seems to ignore the looks though, and doesn’t even introduce the boys to the rest of the people, she just walks straight to an elderly man, sitting in a comfortable sofa.

“Clive, we need to get to Central. Now. We’ll be leaving as soon as possible, can I get the codes?”

The man, Clive, looks up at her.

“The newcomers?” He asks, eyeing Louis and the rest of them. Eleanor nods.

“Strength in numbers will be helpful, right? We need to get to the cure. Maybe there’s something new.”

Clive watches Louis, and then the rest of them. He stops at Niall, who still looks hurt. The cut is still bleeding and he looks a bit out of it, like he needs to lie down for a good while.

“That one doesn’t look so good.”

“I’m okay.” Niall quickly says, standing up straight, not leaning on the other boys. “Just need to rest for a couple of minutes.”

Louis thinks that maybe it’s not entirely truthful, but he doesn’t want to call Niall out on that in front of all the other people. Harry steps forward.

“We’re willing to help in any way we can.” He says, and he’s perfect Louis thinks. Perfect leader. _Perfect person_. His voice is demanding but respectful and it is perfect. “We need to put an end to all this. We need to help people.”

Clive laughs a little and then he coughs. He looks at Harry with eyes of approval.

“Not that many people left to save.” He says after a while. “You’re sure it won’t be in vain? Risking your life to save people, when maybe there aren’t that many people left to save?”

“There’s still people here.” Harry says, eying Clive. “We will not let everyone die. We need to find a cure.”

Clive laughs again and then he hands Eleanor a piece of paper.

“You go on then, but remember to be careful. It isn’t a Sunday walk to get over there, you know that.”

Eleanor nods, and then she turns to the others, pocketing the piece of paper.

“Perrie and Danielle, you’re coming with us.” Eleanor says, and the other two girls, who have been talking to some of the other survivors, look up and nod.  “We’re leaving.”

Louis nudges Niall’s shoulder.

“Are you okay to come with us, Niall? Not feeling dizzy?”

Niall nods and looks tough as he meets Louis’ eyes.

“I’m fine, just fine.”

“Good.” Harry says, clearly he didn’t want to leave Niall alone. Liam and Zayn let Niall walk between them in case he needs support, which leaves Harry and Louis together in the back. Eleanor, Danielle and Perrie grab a few rifles from one of the shelves they have in their camping spot.

“It’s not that tricky to get to Central, really.” Eleanor says, and Perrie snorts.

“Yeah, if you don’t count the fact that it’s a zombie infested mad house and every way in are really blocked.”

Eleanor waves her hand, as if that doesn’t bother her at all.

“Whatever, we tap, we double tap, we’ll take those sons of bitches out. There’s so many of us now, it will be fine, they won’t be able to overrun us.”

“I hope you’re right.” Harry says and his hand brush against Louis’, and Louis desperately wants to hold him because right now it feels like every second could be the last he spends with him, and he really doesn’t want that, he really doesn’t want that. He wants to stay with Harry forever.

“Are you sure we can trust them?” He mumbles to Harry, and Danielle looks at him.

“I heard that. You’re free to go, you know. You don’t have to come with us.”

“No, we’re coming with you.” Harry says and he grabs Louis’ hand, squeezing it. “It will be fine, Lou.”

\---

They make sure that Niall’s cut is cleaned up before they finally leave, and then they are ready. Eleanor quickly shows them a map over the area, pointing out which routes they will take. It isn’t that far to walk, but if zombies cut them off, they might have to go the other way around, and they don’t want to split up.

When they are finished Danielle and Perrie leads them towards an emergency exit, which they will proceed through.

“Maybe I should take the lead…” Zayn says and Eleanor takes one look at him and laugh.

“Please mister, we can handle ourselves pretty well. Don’t go all hero on me, please.”

“I was just thinking…” Zayn mutters, but he doesn’t finish the sentence and Louis is kind of happy that he doesn’t, because he doesn’t want this to turn into a discussion right now. He wants it to get over with.

Danielle and Perrie opens up the door, and they sneak out of it before Eleanor does the same, followed by Zayn, Niall and Liam and last to leave is Harry and Louis, Harry still holding on to Louis.

They walk down a couple of stairs, and they can see some zombies in the distance, but since they are really quiet they don’t get caught.

“Don’t use bullets unless you have to.” Eleanor whispers to the others. “Sound attracts monsters.”

“We know.” Liam says and Louis thinks it almost looks like he’s rolling his eyes. When they are down on the ground, Perrie stays to wave to the others where they should go, Danielle and Eleanor taking the lead as Perrie waits to make sure that everyone is down safely before getting in last in line, falling in right behind Harry and Louis.

Louis is impressed when Danielle makes it to the door their supposed to get through, and manages to lure off the zombies using some kind of smoke bomb decoy that she must have built herself, her or someone else at their camp. When most of the zombies have wandered off, trying to see what the sound is about, there’s only a couple of them left and Liam manages to kill them off using a fishing knife he had pocketed earlier, making not that much sound.

“Okay, this was almost too easy.” Eleanor comments as she gets in front of the door. “But we still need to be quick, okay, and this door isn’t easy to get through, you need a hell bunch of codes. Which, thankfully, thanks to Clive, we have.”

Louis looks at the door to the building. The building itself probably used to be white and magnificent, but now it really isn’t, it’s smeared with blood and dirt and it looks almost disgusting, but the door itself look impressive. Harder to get through than the door at the hotel, Louis can understand what Eleanor meant. They’re not just going to be able to waltz inside like a school out on a field trip, but he didn’t count on that either.

Eleanor finds a tablet with buttons, and she starts pressing the numbers, looking at the paper in her hands.

“I really hope these codes still works.” Perrie says, as Danielle, Liam and Zayn keeps a lookout for other zombies coming nearby. “We need to get inside like, now.”

“I know, I know, I’m working on it.” Eleanor says and then after pressing a few other buttons there’s a loud beep as the door slides open.

“Yes!” Eleanor says, and then she stops because the sound of the doors opening has attracted the attention of the closest zombies, who now turn their attention away from the smoke bomb and instead turn to them.

“Shit, shit, let’s get inside now.” Harry says, who was been strangely quiet up until now. He practically pushes Louis in front of him and the others hurry as well.

Just as they are all inside and Eleanor manages to close the door, they can hear the growls of the zombies outside, angry because they missed out on another meal.

Louis breathes heavily and looks at Harry and then at the rest of the boys. Zayn is leaning against Liam. The girls look ahead though. They are staying in a corridor, walls are white, chairs are white, everything looks sterile and new, like in a hospital.

“Come on then.” Eleanor whispers, and Louis wants to ask why they are whispering, like they shouldn’t be here to begin with, but he doesn’t want to do that. instead he just do what the other does, which is following Eleanor, Danielle and Perrie down the white corridor.

They don’t see any people, and Louis looks nervously at Harry, who looks just as puzzled. Liam clears his throat, like he is about to ask something, when Perrie speaks up.

“Okay, look, they have the research center further down the hall, as far away from the zombies as possible. The entrance we came in through is the main entrance, there are a few others as well, but that one is usually the most crowded one.”

Louis nods. Eleanor quickens her paste, like she doesn’t want to be slow, not now, not ever.

“Come on, guys, I want to see what they are up to.”

-

The building was indeed huge, much bigger than Louis had anticipated. When they are finally in the room where the researchers are, Louis has to take a step back just to admire it.

It’s big. Really. You can barely see the ceiling, and there are like ten people working at different computers, and with lab coats on, and some of them even have a zombie carcass which they run tests on, or something. Louis isn’t really sure, but it looks like they are pinching the corpse, taking samples from the skin.

One researcher, a tall guy with dark hair and glasses look up as he spots Eleanor and the others.

“Eleanor.” He says, and he sounds almost grateful to see them. “Didn’t think you could make it back after last time.”

“We got some backup.” Eleanor says, nodding in the boys’ direction before she, Perrie and Danielle steps forward to shake hands with the researcher. He looks at them all with warm eyes, before turning to Louis and the others.

“And who are you? You haven’t been around before, have you? I’m sorry, my memory isn’t really that good when it comes to faces nowadays, I tend to want to forget…”

“I’m Harry.” Harry says, stepping forward to shake the man’s hand. “And this is Niall, Liam, Zayn and Louis. And no, we haven’t been here before, we come from the hotel, all of us. We’ve been hiding out there, trying to keep away from the madness outside.”

“Good choice. Wise, indeed.” The man smiles, and he looks nice and Louis likes him. “I’m Paul, by the way. I work here together with these other fine women and men who have been trying to find a cure.”

He waves in the other people’s direction, only a few of them look up to give the newcomers any attention, before they go back to their work. Paul smiles at them again.

“And did you find it?” Zayn asks, taking a step forward. “The cure I mean. We’re told you have one is it true? Really?”

The man, Paul, looks a bit sad, but then he nods, which gets Zayn to light up.

“Yeah we think so. At least, it looks that way.”

Niall cheers and jumps a little.

“Then you should be happy. Why aren’t we dancing around with joy, kissing each other’s cheeks?” The Irish lad asks, and Paul smiles again before shaking his head.

“We’re not able to test it properly. It doesn’t seem to work on the ones already turned, but that’s fine, because we didn’t think it would. We think it only works if you get it after being bitten, before you’re actually turned. And yeah, test subject like that is difficult to come around.”

Liam shakes his head and then look at Paul.

“Wait, so you’re like, in need of someone getting bitten and then trying to cure to know if it works properly? Wow, that isn’t really good.”

Paul shakes his head as well and looks over at his computer. Louis is surprised all of this is still working, but he guesses they must have some good backup electricity.

“No, it really isn’t that great. We want to be able to take it to the army, because we think the army is still up and running, only not here… There are safe zones out of town. But yeah, we’re not really able to send people out. We don’t want the cure to be lost, and we haven’t had people being able to take it outside.”

“We could take it.” Harry says, stepping forward. “We’ll get it to the army. We can do this, we’re really… We won’t lose it.”

Louis grips Harry’s hand, causing Harry to look back at him. His green eyes looks like they’ve already decided and it makes Louis nervous because getting out there, trying to get some place they don’t even know exists, that sounds really dangerous and not something they should sign up for. On the other hand, maybe it would be the only way, the best way, but Louis isn’t sure he’s ready to risk it. Their lives are in danger like it is already.

“Harry…” Louis says, wanting to tell him that they can’t do that, but Harry isn’t looking at Louis anymore, he has turned his attention back to Paul.

“We could do this.” Harry repeats and Paul looks like he doesn’t know what to believe, and he keeps glancing over at Eleanor. “You have to let us try. There are five of us, we will make it. I promise. We’re stronger than we look.”

“I’m sure you are.” Paul says, patting Harry’s shoulder in a way a dad pats his son’s shoulder. It makes Harry freeze. “I don’t doubt it, you did survive this long after all. But it’s still quite risky. And the zombies are just getting more and more deadly, and there are more of them. More people are turned every day.

“Which is why we need to stop this.” Harry says and he looks over at Liam and Niall, for support in this. “We can do this. We can’t be in Zombie England all of our lives now, can we?”

Paul looks like he’s about to give in and actually let Harry and the others try this, when one person on the floor starts yelling.

“Security breach!” The man screams and Louis can hear the sound of alarms going off. “They’re getting through the doors.”

“Shit!” Eleanor curses. “This is not supposed to happen, where are they coming from?”

“Everywhere. The smaller doors.” The man yells and tosses weapons to his partners on the floor. Harry grabs a hold of his rifle, as does Louis. “They’re getting inside.”

“Keep the cure safe!” Paul yells and grabs a gun on his desk. “Guys, apparently we need to see what you’re made of a bit sooner than you had expected.”

“We’ll show you.” Harry says and then they hear the sound of doors cracking open in the far distance.

“They are inside!” Paul yells and Louis hears the crack of the doors to the room opening, and then the groans as zombies stumble inside. He watches in horror as Harry picks up his gun. There are so many of them, and they are growling and they are disgusting as they stumble towards the group that still has beating hearts.

“Louis, shoot them, Liam, get the cure!” Harry yells and Louis watches Liam run over to the desk where Paul is keeping the cure, trying to keep it safe, helping the others out. Paul seems to have everything under control though because he signals to Liam to get to one of the doors still not opened, keeping it closed.

Louis tries to focus, but Zayn is close to the zombies coming in from the left and it’s like he doesn’t know how to walk anymore because he keeps standing still. The zombies are getting closer and closer to him and it’s starting to look real dangerous.

“Zayn!” Louis yells, and Zayn turns around in horror as he notices all the zombies getting closer to him. Up on another one of the desk Eleanor is standing, and she shoots the zombies in the head one by one.

“Keep out, you idiots!” She yells and Louis hopes that Zayn will be able to run. Just as Zayn seems to realize that he really should move, one of the zombies are lunging forward, gripping Zayn by the wrist.

Zayn’s screams with pain as the zombie buries its teeth in his skin.

“Zayn, no!” Louis yells, blinded with tears, about to run forward to help his friend out when Liam stops him.

“No, Louis, you have to watch out, the tree!” He mumbles and Louis blinks in surprise. Didn’t Liam guard the door? And what tree? He turns back to Zayn, but Zayn is practically covered in zombies right now, all biting, ripping him to pieces and Louis feels like he’s about to get sick. The sounds coming from Zayn is the worst thing Louis has ever heard in his life and he doesn’t know what to do.

“Louis, you have to watch the tree!” Niall yells all of a sudden and Louis turns to his voice, turning his eyes away from the sight of Zayn being completely overrun by zombies. Niall is standing next to a big oak tree and it’s on fire and more importantly it clearly wasn’t there before. Now it’s in the middle of the room, bigger than anything and Louis blinks, completely sure that he must be imaging things but the tree is there, and it’s on fire, and everyone is pointing towards it. What the hell is going on?

“Go on, Louis.” Harry yells, as he shoots another zombie trying to munch on what’s left Zayn’s body. The zombie groans as it’s brains gets spilled all over the floor and Harry looks pleased, before he turns to Louis again and once again points towards the oak tree.  “Go watch the tree, you have to!”

Louis drops his gun and hides his face in his hands. This is too much. What is going on, why is there a tree in the room, why is it on fire? He looks up again and notices Danielle and Perrie, both of them fighting too many zombies, all too close to the tree.

“What’s going on?” He yells, and then he hears a loud crack as another door breaks open, hundreds of zombies coming inside.

“I told you, you have to watch the tree!” Niall screams and then one zombie grabs Niall’s arm, pulling him down on the floor and Louis looks away as it bites him.

Louis turns to Harry again but Harry is now really far away from him, still fighting off zombies together with Liam, who shakes his head and looks annoyed as Louis looks at them.

“Louis, why are you still standing there? I told you, you have to take care of the tree, what is wrong with you?”

Louis screams, tempted to rip his hair and then he notices zombies closing in on Harry and Liam and suddenly everything starts spinning and he feels himself fall over, down on the floor and then everything is dark as Louis feels the world disappear

\---

There’s a loud knock on the door. Louis is startled by it and he opens is eyes, blinking. The first thing he notices is the sheets tangled around his legs and then his laptop on the desk. He feels more confused than ever. This is his student dorm. What happened? He tries to get out of the sheets, feeling his body being soaked in sweat and it’s a bit disgusting. He probably smells really bad too.

He rubs his eyes and tries to remember but it’s not easy as everything is fuzzy. He remembers the burning tree and then the screams from Zayn when the zombie bit his leg (although Louis would rather forget about that moment) but this isn’t where he fell. He fell from that desk, as he watched Harry. And now he is in his bed in his student dorm? This doesn’t make sense, this even makes less sense than the stupid oak tree.

There’s another loud knock and Louis feels scared. Who’s knocking? What is going on here? He glances over at his alarm clock. It shows 8.09. And then his eyes linger on the date. That can’t be right. September 21st. _That’s when he and Zayn left campus all that time ago._

“Louis, we know you’re in there, wake up you lazy bum!”

Louis doesn’t know what to do when he recognizes Zayn’s voice.

“Zayn?” He asks, confused and then he gets up from the bed. He’s wearing his pajama bottoms, and everything looks like that morning, the morning when he woke up to find Zayn at his computer. But it can’t be. Louis rubs his eyes again. Did he really _dream_ all of this?

Outside Zayn is getting annoyed, Louis can tell because he hear the sound of stomping feet.

“Louis, I have your new roommate here, and you are not making a good first impression. Now get your ass over here and open the door, we don’t have a key yet!”

Louis walks over to the door and unlocks it. He needs an explanation. He needs to know if Zayn really is there. He needs to know what is real.

The second the sound of the lock opening can be heard, Zayn bursts in through the door.

At first Louis is so shocked to see him there he doesn’t even know what to say or do. He just stares at Zayn for a moment, until Zayn notices that he is staring and raises a confused eyebrow.

“Woah, you look like you’ve seen a ghost or something. It’s just me pal. What’s going on? Is it my outfit, it doesn’t match my hair?”

“Zayn.” Louis whispers and doesn’t even know why but he reaches out and grabs Zayn, pulling him close in a tight embrace. “God, it’s you. You’re alive.”

“Not if you keep squeezing me like this.” Zayn complains with a muffled voice and Louis realizes he actually is hugging Zayn to the point where he might break a few of his ribs and let go of him, a foolish grin on his face. It’s Zayn.

“I… God, I had this dream. There were zombies and we ran and… Oh god, it was so real.”

Zayn looks at Louis for a while, and then he laughs, his perfect, sparkling laughter and Louis can’t help but grin because Zayn is here, Zayn is not getting eaten by disgusting, smelly zombies. Zayn is _here._

“You, me, zombies? If we didn’t die right away, you must have known it was a dream. I can’t even watch a zombie movie without panicking.”

“It was so real.” Louis almost whispers and he still isn’t really sure that it actually was a dream, because now everything feels unreal as well. He isn’t sure Zayn is real. He reaches out to touch Zayn again and yes, he feels real. “And we travelled places, and we met people, and we found a cure but we… Oh god, Zayn, they got to you and I couldn’t…”

Zayn looks ready to burst out laughing again but then it’s like he catches on to Louis’ serious voice and the fact that he’s almost shaking, and he stops himself and pulls Louis closer again, hugging him tight.

“Hey, buddy. I’m here, okay? It was a dream. Only a dream. No zombies here, I promise. We’re fine.” Zayn mumbles, his mouth resting against Louis’ forehead.

Louis hides his face in Zayn’s shirt, feeling stupid for having stupid dreams, stupid for behaving like this.

“Try to calm down, okay.” Zayn whispers as he feels Louis shaking. “I don’t want you freaking Harry out, okay?”

Louis blinks in surprise when he hears the name.

“Harry?”

“Yeah, your new roommate.” Zayn explains and points to a couple of boxes piled up outside of Louis’ door. “I think he just got transferred or something and he’ll be rooming with you from now on. He’s just picking up the last boxes from his car, since you wouldn’t open up when we first knocked.”

Louis feels a bit lightheaded, hearing the name Harry again. This couldn’t be real.

“Are you sure his name is Harry?”

“Uhm, yeah.” Zayn says with a puzzled face. “I am actually quite good with finding out people’s names. They usually tell you that when you introduce yourself. And what, something’s wrong with the name Harry? You don’t want to be rooming with a Harry?”

“No it’s fine.” Louis mumbles. “Just… No, it was nothing.”

Zayn continues to stare at him, like he still thinks that Louis is acting really strange and sure, Louis might agree with that but honestly, that this guy’s name is Harry is just too much. Not that Harry is an uncommon name by any means, it’s just…

“There you are!” Zayn suddenly says and Louis realizes he’s been so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear the soft knock on the door. “Welcome, this is Louis. Louis, say hi to Harry, don’t make him think you’re a douche or anything.”

Louis turns to the stranger in the doorway and he almost faints.

Harry is staring back at him.

_Harry._

Okay so it’s not exactly the same, but Louis feels his body shaking. This Harry looks like dream Harry’s twin. He’s got soft curly hair, beautiful eyes and he is tall and his lips are red and pouty, and now they’re smiling nervously at him as he watches him.

The only thing that isn’t the same is the fact that this Harry looks calm and a bit out of place, he doesn’t have cuts or bruises and his clothes are new and freshly washed, only a bit wrinkly, probably from a car ride.

Louis’ jaw drops open and there isn’t anything he can do to stop it.

Harry nervously shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and then he takes a couple of steps into the room and holds out his hand to shake Louis’.

“Hi, I’m Harry.” He says, and a grin dances on his lips, going all the way up to his eyes that sparkle as they look at Louis. “Uhm, I guess we’ll be roomies from now on.”

“I…” Louis stammers and he shakes Harry’s hand, but he really doesn’t know what to do. This isn’t fucking _real_.

Zayn rolls his eyes by the sight of Louis acting like an idiot.

“Listen mate, I don’t even know what the fuck my mate’s been on, but I promise you he isn’t usually like this. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep, don’t let him scare you off.”

Harry laughs and Louis feels his knees get weak. Okay, this needs to stop. He’s being mental. He can’t get weak to the knees by some guy he just met and is supposed to be rooming with, you just don’t do that. No matter how much he looks like the person you just dreamed about. You just don’t do that.

Harry walks over to the bed that isn’t Louis’, and sits down, looking at the room.

“I like this.” He says, his eyes still sparkling. “This is way better than my old room.”

Zayn opens his mouth to say something but Louis cuts him off.

“Yeah, it’s a nice room. Really great. Four walls and everything.”

Zayn rolls his eyes again.

“Well, I have class so I’ll let you two get to know each other. See you later Harry. Louis.”

And he gives Louis a look like he wants to tell him to act normal, and then he’s gone.

Louis stares at Harry and Harry stares back, and after a while Harry giggles goofily.

“I’m sorry, but do I have something funny on my nose or something?”

Louis blinks and then shakes his head.

“No…”

“Then why are you staring at me?” Harry laughs and Louis blinks again, feeling stupid for staring, stupid for acting like this. “Not that I mind, it’s just…”

“I’m sorry.” Louis blurts out and tries to save the situation. “It’s just… wow, you really look like someone… I used to know.”

Harry grins.

“Oh, I get that a lot. I think I have one of those faces you know? Kinda normal features and everything.”

Louis wants to say that nothing about Harry is normal. He is gorgeous and now, happy and smiling, he’s everything that dream Harry wasn’t and Louis can’t handle this.

But he doesn’t say that, of course. You can’t really say that to someone you just met, that isn’t the right way.

“Uhm, I guess.” He says instead and then desperately tries to come up with something to talk about.

“So… what’s your major?”

“Computer science.” Harry says and Louis wants to faint again. “I just moved here, I hope I will be able to get back on track with everything. But I like it so far. Maybe you could show me around later? If you want to, of course, you’ve probably got better things to do…”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Louis says and he means it. “I could… Yeah, maybe after classes?”

“Great.” Harry says and his eyes are sparkling and Louis can’t help it.

He’s staring again.

And Harry smiles at him and Louis feels stupid.

But he keeps staring.


End file.
